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V-".;Tr'\,* 




THE STORY OF THE 
HEREFORDS 



An account of the origin and 
developmen*: of the breed in 
Herefordshire, a sketch of its 
early introduction into the 
United States and Canada, 
and subsequent rise to popu- 
larity in the Western cattle 
trade, with sundry notes on the 
management of breeding herds 



By ALVIN H. SANDERS, D. Agr., LL D. 

Editor "THE BREEDERS GAZETTE" 
and author of "SHORTHORN C:ATTLE" 



Chicago 
The Breeder's Gazette 

1914 






Copyright. 1914. 

Sanders Publishing Company, ChicaRO, III. 

All rights reserved. 



DEC L, 



A ■ ■ '"^ > > 



A DEDICATION. 

The story of liow tlio Tlorci'oiMls leaped into tlieir 
Ameriean fame little more than a (jnarter of a een- 
tury ai?o constitntes one of tlie most interesting 
chapters in the annals of onr agrienltnre. Bred and 
prized as they had l)een for generations in their 
native land, tlie West of England; introduced as 
they had been in a small way and at an early day 
in various eastern and middle states, with indiffer- 
ent success; their invasion of the cornbelt in tlie 
"seventies"; the antagonism they encountered at 
the hands of "vested interests"; their final eon- 
quest of the range; in brief, the winning of their 
way by sheer force of demonstratcMl merit into the 
affections of all admirers of good cattle in the New 
"World forms the subject of a theme that must ap- 
peal to every student of the history of animal hus- 
bandry. 

Those who conductei] this successful incursion 
into a field once thouiilit to be fully and satisfac- 
torily occupied wei'e inoi of force and enter]n'ise 
and character. Tt was the good fortune of th(> 
writer to know most of them. ^Tuch has already 
beeu written of their work. PossHily there is little 
real occasion for me to midertake to add to what 
has already been rec<u'ded, but the memory of de- 

3 



4 A HISTORY OF llEREFOHD CATTLE. 

liglitful (lays spent among tlio "wliite faces" in the 
comj)any of these pioneers in a gr<'at industry, and 
of tlie happy liours aI)out tlieir firesides tliat fol- 
lowed eaoli tour of pasture and paddock, impels 
me to undertake tliis volume in an effort at express- 
ing some a})i)reeiation of the great service they 
have rendered to tlieir country. 

Much ink was needlessly spilled and had bloo<l 
unnecessarily engendered some years ago in en- 
deavoring to explain why the "white faces" were so 
long in "coming into their own" in the United 
States. The lot of the pathfinder in any field is not 
always cast in ])leasant places. Those who first 
sought to force tlie Hereford to the front in the 
west were riding somewhat "ahead of the hounds." 
They were in advance of tlieir time. Natural con- 
ditions were not favorahh' to immediate success, 
and, knowing as tliey did tliat there was merit in 
the breed they cliam])ioiie(l and chagrined at the 
slow progress made, they were inclined to attribute 
to unworthy jealousies and conspiracies their fail- 
ure to compel general recou'iiition. The impatience 
displayed, therefore, by sonic of those who were on 
the original skirmish line is ])ardonable. We are 
now far enough r(Mnoved from the controversies of 
the old days to get a ])ro)»cr ])crs])ective ; and 
viewed in the light of the known facts it is clear 
that while some difficulty was at first experienced 
in S(Mniring a fair hearing, the real reason why the 
ITerefords did not sooner ac<jinre wide popularity 
is grounded in more natural causes. 



DEDICATION. 5 

When the Indian and the hulTalo disappeared from 
tlie great grassy west and cattle claimed the open 
i-ange, the Hereford's real hour in America had 
struck, and not before. The world's grazing breed 
l)ar excellence quickly found there a congenial home. 
And when cornbelt farmers began turning to the 
range for cattle to fill their feedyards, then, but not 
until then, were the necessary conditions for a wide 
extension of Hereford breeding in America pre- 
sented. In the following pages we shall endeavor to 
trace the trail from its earliest beginnings down to 
the present time, including such account of the 
origin and development of the type in Hereford- 
shire, England, as may seem essential to the intel- 
ligent reading of American records. 

The long and successful cni-eer of another great 
English breed, the Shorthorn, more particularly as 
relating to its rise and progress in America, has 
already been sketched by the writer in a previous 
volume. "While we have to do in the following 
])ages with the Hereford alone, a close acquaintance 
with both breeds has supplied such convincing 
proofs of the special merits of each that I can only 
write of one with due appreciation of the other. 
It will be understood, therefore, that this volume 
is prepared in no partisan sense. This is not an 
effort to exploit Herefords at the expense of other 
good breeds. 

Some who might have supplied additional and 
perhaps more accurate information concerning men 
and events of the "auld lang syne" have failed to 



6 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE. 

respond to repeated requests for certain informa- 
tion, necessitating an approach through channels 
sometimes perhaps not so reliable, but in these cases 
every effort has been made to arrive at the truth. 
"While this has led to disappointment in certain in- 
stances, we are happy to be able to say that for the 
most part those who have been consulted in refer- 
ence to data relating to matters that have long since 
passed into history, have been more than generous 
in extending assistance. To undertake to mention 
by name all those who have, at more or less cost to 
themselves, supplied facts essential to the develop- 
ment of this long story of the Hereford, would be to 
burden unnecessarily pages already perhaps too 
numerous. 

To all those therefore who have so kindly and pa- 
tiently answered the thousand and one questions 
which have had to be put, not only throughout all 
America but in England as well, in connection with 
the preparation of the text, the author returns his 
most heartfelt thanks. Without their valued help 
this book would have been a mere compilation of 
matter that has already been presented in various 
forms. As it is, the volume represents considerable 
original research work, and will, therefore, it is 
hoped, constitute a contribution to the literature of 
the breed not wholly without justification. 

The writer confesses to an abiding appreciation 
of white-faced cattle as a prime factor in the beef 
production of our continent, and has undertaken 
this volume at the urgent request of some of their 



DEDICATION. 7 

leading' advocates, who ht'lieve that additional iii- 
lormatioii as to the rise and i)rogress of the breed 
can bo distributed witli advantaii:e to the American 
cattle trade in general and to the Hereford interest 
in })articnhir. Its preparation has had to go for- 
ward in addition to other work of a more or less 
exacting character. It is of course imperfect. Er- 
rors and omissions are almost certain to creep into 
llie first edition of a work necessarily nunle n]) of 
a ni.-ize of facts, names, dates and records of various 
kinds. If injustice has in any case ])eeii done it is 
not with any such intent. The writer desires above 
everything else to be always fair and just and to 
set things down in their right relation. Whatever 
nuiy be its merits or its faults, this volume is dedi- 
cated to the Hereford cattle growers of the United 
States as a slight exi)ression of a])i)reciation of con- 
tinuous courtesies extended by them during a long 
series of years. 

The Author. 
Chicago, 1914. 



AS TO ANIMAL PORTRAITURE. 

Just a word about pictures. As is commonly understood, 
there has been decided progress made in recent years in the 
matter of animal portraiture and photography. In the prepara- 
tion of illustrations for a volume of this description, where the 
story extends back for more than a century, one of the regret- 
table features is the lack of accurate delineations of the founda- 
tion animals and the more noted show and breeding cattle fig- 
uring in the history of the earlier years of business. From 
Mr. W. H. Bustin of Herefordshire we have obtained portraits 
of some of the men and views of some of the historic homes of 
the old breed-builders, but when it comes to illustrations of the 
epoch-making sires we are unable in most instances to give any 
adequate presentation as to their real individual character. We 
have to work from reproductions of old prints or lithographs 
until we arrive at the time when the camera began to do more 
or less effective work in animal life. 

It will be observed, therefore, that the portraits of many 
of the earlier celebrities of the breed shown in this volume, are, 
as a rule, unsatisfactory, in most cases probably overdone, with 
the relative proportions of the body to the size of the limbs 
altogether exaggerated. We have probably a mere approxima- 
tion as to the character of the originals. The color markings 
are shown with probable accuracy. Some of the old pictures 
of certain of the more famous cattle seem so atrocious that the 
author has deemed it best to omit them entirely from this 
volume. It is only when we turn the corner of the twen- 
tieth century that animal photography begins to come efficiently 
to our aid. Readers, therefore, in noting the illustrations in 
this volume will please bear in mind that with the exception 
of (hose presented near the close of the story, the pictures ot 
cattle herein reproduced are simply the best available; not at 
all the kind that the author would have desired. 



INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Adams, Geo. H., 651. 

Adair, Mrs. C, 713. 

Afrikander cow, heifers and bull, 

yu5. 

Albion 76960, 871. 

Aldrich, W. W., 341. 

Ancient Briton, 617. 

Andrews, Tom, SU. 

Anxiety (51S8), 121, 211. 

Anxiety 3d, Clark's, 439. 

Anxiety 4th (9904) (Gu.:ge:i & 
Simpson's), 4 79. 

Araminta 4th, 919. 

Anliibald (6290), 235. 

Arizona range views, 741. 

Arkwright, J. H., and his favor- 
ite hunter "Bagpipe," 171. 

Armour, K. B., 669. 

Armour, P. D., 373. 

Aston, Thomas, 305. 

Aston's, Tliomas, bu.«iness card, 
300. 

At pasture in Herefordshire, 4.''>5. 
Avondale, The Kintj'.s Roval win- 
ner In 1914, l(i76. 

Bateman (I>ord) and Shobdcn 
Court, 162. 

Beatrice, bred bv Mrs. Edwards, 
231. 

Beau Brummel 51S17, 827. 

Beau Donald, from drawing by 

Palmer, 1048. 
Beau Donald 5th S6142, SG7. 
Beau Donald SGth and Perfection 

Fairfax, 1054. 
Beau Fairfax 368360, 929. 
Benton's Champion (Fowler & 

VanXatta's), 385. 
Bird, Isaac, 737. 
Black, Dan W., 1035. 
Black Hall, King's Pyon, 91. 
Black Prince, Aberdeen-Angus 

bullock, 405. 
Boardman, J. M., 747. 
Bodwell, J. R., 295. 



Boice, H. S., 761. 

Bowie, Alex., 703. 

Branding cattle on the range, 729. 

Breeding cows at Hampton Court, 
197. 

Breeding herd on property of Don 
Leonardo Pereyra, 976. 

Britten, W. E., 247. 

Britisher, imp. 145096, 961. 

Brock, S. L., 946. 

Brook House, 53. 

Bulls at Rhadeland Farm, Fa- 
mous, 495. 

Burleigh, G. S., H. C, Jno. H. 
and Thos. G., 295. 

"Butcher Row" in the old city 
of Hereford, 25. 

Butters. G., holding Sailor Prince, 
197. 

California Land Company's herd, 

739. 
Cameronian, 1031. 
Campbell, H. H., 7 73. 
Carey, J. M., 74 7. 
Carwardine, T. J., 119. 
Cave, Sr., John, 247. 
Chadnor Court, A gathering at, 

227. 
Champion " show herd of G. W. 

Henry, 557. 
Clark, Thos., 353. 
Christopher 44565, 819. 
Clay, Henry, 259. 
Clay, John, 747. 

Cleveland, Shorthorn steer, 413. 
Clough. H. H., 575. 
Clough's champion herd at 

world's fair, Chicago, 617. 
Cochranes of Hillhurst, M. H. 

and J. A , 501. 
Columbus 51875, 827. 
Condell, Wm., 1059. 
Coningsby (71S), 155. 
Conqueror, T. L. Miller's bullock, 

391. 
"Contentment," frontispiece. 



12 



INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 



Cook, A. B., 953. 
Cosgrove, C. N., 575. 
Cotmore (376)— Reputed to have 
weighed over 3,500 lbs., lai. 
CottriU's (Sir J. G.) country seat, 

170. 
Court House— John Price on 
right, Harry Yeld on left, 
103. 
Court of Noke, home of l-ari, 

193 
Cow and calf at pasture in Eng- 
land, 42 5. 
Cows and calves , of California 

Land Company's herd, 739. 
Cows at Hampton Court, 19 <■ 
Croome Court and Earl of Cov- 
entry, 163. 
Cross, C. S., 625. 
Cross, Kate Wilder, 864. 
Crossbred animals, 992. 
Crusader 86596, 850. 
Cuba and crossbreds, 992. 
Cudahy show herd, with Fairfax 

16th at head, 1011. 
Culbertson, Chas. M., 421. 
Curtice, W. H.. and his favorite 
mount, 1048. 



Dale, the $10,000 champion, 850. 
Darling, first bull bred by J. L. 

Hewer, 67. 
Davis, W. J., 953. 
DeCote (3060), 121. 
De Ricqles, A. E., 803. 
Disturber 139989, 919. 
Dolly Mount, Lord Coventry s, 

1017. 
Don Carlos 33734, 816. 
Dot— Aberdeen-Angus champion, 

405. 
Duckham, Thos., 247. 

Earl, Adams, 443. 

Earl of Coventry, 163. 

Edwards, W. C of Wintercott. 
115. 

Edwards, Mrs., 114. , , „ „ 

Bggleton Court, home of Arthur 

^ E. Hill, 253. 

Endale and Holmer prize bulls 
at Sheepcote, isa- 

English breeders examining cat- 
tle at Stocktonbury sale, 204. 

Estill, Wallace. 401. 



Fairfax 16th 316931, 929 

Farmer 426279, 961. 
laimei Monk- 

Farmyard ' at Wsau i^nu., 

land, 185. 
Fisherman (5913), 235. 
Flock, Bert, 879. 
Fluck, Harry, 8Y9. 
Fowler, Moses, 459. 
Fowler (Mr. VanNattas), 463. 
Fowler & VanNatta's show herd, 

463. 
Fraser, Wm., 102 8. 
Funk, Lafayette, 373. 
Funkhouser, Jas., 62o. 

Gabbert, Benton, 925. 
Gainsborough (28303). 1022. 
Galliers, William, 43. 
Gamers, Jr., William, 43. 
Garfield (Earl & Stuarts), 495. 
Gathering at Chadnor Court, A 

notable, 22 ^ 
Giantess, bred by Tudge, 223. 
Gillett, John D., 373. 

Giltner, Robt.. Wm. and Fiank. 
856. 

Good Boy (7668), 246. 

Good catch. A-Matador range, 
729. 

Goode, Samuel, 167. 

Goodnight, Charles, 709. 

Golden Treasure, 239. 

Gosling, John, 569. 

Graves, Clem, 998. 

Grateful (4622), 215. 

Green, J. B. and G. H., 8 J. 

Grove 3d (5051), 137. 

Groupof cattle at A. P. Turners. 

196. 
Gudgell, Charles, 475. 



Haines, J. W., 285. 
Hampton Court, 35, lil. 
Happy Hampton, 251. 
Harris, Overton, 939. 
Harvey. T. W.. 401. 
Harvest scene and apple picking 
in Herefordshire,^ 29. 

Hastings, Frank S., 784. 

Haywood, Henry, 167. 

"Hayfields" House-Home of 
John Merry man, 3ib. 

Hazlett, Robert H., 959. 



INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 



13 



Helena, dam of Anxiety, 211. 
Heliotrope (Carglll & McMil- 
lan's), Slt4. 
Hendry, James and George, 102S. 
Henry, Goo. W., 1)25. 
Henry'.s champion sliow lierd, 557. 
Hershey, Benjamin, 499. 
Heslod 2d 40679, 823. 
Hewer, John, 62. 
Hewer, John L., 63. 
Hobbling an outlaw, 729. 
Holm.r, a prize bull, 983. 

Home of — 

Coats, Peter, ISS. 

Cochrane, M. 11., 503. 

Cottrlll, Sir J. G., 170. 

Farr (Court of Noke), 193. 

Galllers, T., 55. 

King, Mrs., 7."il. 

Merryman, John, 325. 

Monlvliouse, J., 111. 

Price, John, 103. 

Prosser, J. P., 188. 

inilley, C. T., 193. 

Roberts, Thos., 117. 

Stone, F. W., 31G-7, 319. 

Swan in Iowa, 705. 

'I'omkins, B., 51. 

Tudge, Wm., 91. 

Underwood, Joseph Hall, 291. 

VanNatta, Wm. S., 922. 

Yeomans (Stretton Court), 170. 
Hope (439), calved in 1836, 69. 
Hope, Col. John, 401. 
Horacp (3877), sire of Grove 3d, 

101. 
Horace 2d (4655), 207. 
Hotspur (7726) and Hotspur 

(7028), 243. 
Hoxie. G. H., 925. 
Hughes, A. E., 219. 
Hughes, W. E., 747. 
Hutcheon, Wm., 814. 
Huxley, A. C, 925. 

Ikard, W. S., 717. 
Imboden, John, 1035. 
International show prize winners. 

Some, 1037, 1042. 
Iron Prince (22250), 1022. 
Ivington Rose, 201. 



Ivlngtonbury — Once the home of 
Thos. Roberts, 117. 

jastro, H. A., 737. 
Jessamine (Clark's), S23. 
Jessica — Descendant of Henry 

Clay importation, 269. 
Judy, J. W., 375. 

Keene, Rees, 167. 

Kennedy, Mifflin, 687. 

King, Richard. 687. 

King's, Mrs., residence and ranch, 

751. 
Kinzer, R. J., 845. 
Kleberg, Robert J., 749. 
Kohrs, Conrad, and grandson, 

Conrad Kohrs Warren, 725. 
Kreismann, Mrs. F. H., 864. 

Ladv Byron, bred by J. Hewer, 

67. 
Lady Grove and calf Foigh-A- 

Ballagh, 69. 
Lamplighter 51834, 816. 
Leigh, George, 509. 
Leinthall, home of Mr. Tudge, 

91. 
Leonora — Bred by Mrs. Edwards, 

223. 
Letham, John, 879. 
Letterliead, reproduction of an 

old, 333. 
Lewis, John, 641. 
Lewis, T., 167. 
Lord Wilton (4740), 128, 207. 

McBain, John, 761. 
McCray, Warren T., 933. 
McDonald, Wm. C, 761. 
MacKenzie, Murdo, 777. 
Magnet (823), Edward Price's, 

159. 
Maidstone (8875), 239. 
Makin, C. H., 625. 
March On 76035, imp., 819. 
Mariner, 1911 Royal champion, 

1073. 
Mason, Geo., 1028. 
Matador ranch, 729, 773. 
Mav Morn — A Royal winner In 

1913, 1063. 
Melkle, Andrew, 1059. 
Merryman, John, 323. 
Miller, T. L., 349. 



14 



INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 



Mills, C. F., 375. 
Minton, T. S., 247. 
Moninger, D. M., 401. 
Monkhouse, J., the blind breeder 

and "The Stow," lu9. 111. 
Morris, John, 219. 
Morrow, Geo. E., 375. 
Mortimer, Thos., S30. 
Mother and son, 1063. 
Moxley, H. C, 946. 

Nave, Frank A., 659. 

Nelson, O. H., 703. 

Nichols, champion steer of 1S79, 

3S1. 
Noon-time at a water hole, 799. 

Old Hereford worthies at sale of 
Turner of The Leen, 139. 

Old town hall in Hereford, 35. 

"On the trail that led not back- 
ward," 795. 

Onward 4th and his trainer Will 
Willis, 86S. 

Outbuildings at "Hayfields," 329. 

Pair of steers with old-fashioned 

horns, 196. 
Paloduro ranch house, 715. 
Pendleton, Phineas, 2S5. 
Perfection and Beau Donald 86th, 

1054. 
Perfection Fairfax, 1054. 
Perfection Lass 342053, 950. 
Pierce, Willard, 1059. 
Piatt, F., 119. 
Ponting, "Tom," 563, 
Powell, Jas., 814. 
Price, Edward, of Court House, 

99. 
Price, James, 789. 
Price, J. R. and Ned, 513. 
Price, John, at Court House, 103. 
Price, John, of Ryall, 59. 
Price, John, and his trophies, 2 05. 
Price. William's cattle in yard 

before sale, 205. 
Prime Lad 108911 at three years, 

867. 
Prime Lad 9th 213963, 908. 
Prize cattle at International, 

1037, 1042. 
Prize-winning range Herefords, 

795. 



Protector 117878, 871. 
Pryor, Ike T., 761. 

Queen of the Lilies, 201. 

Ranch boss in Arizona, 741. 

Ranch of the "O R" brand, 741. 

Ranch of the "S O" brand, 767. 

Ranch scenes in Texas, 729. 

Ranch scenes in Wyoming, 767, 
791. 

Range-bred Herefords at Inter- 
national show, 1042. 

Range in the west and round-up, 
A typical, 805. 

Rankin, Sir James, 219. 

Rare Sovereign (10449), 246. 

Rarity at twenty years, 425. 

Red Rose (John Hewer's), 159. 

Repeater 289598, 1007. 

Repeater 7th and Miss Repeater 
11th, front cover. 

Reproduction of an old litho- 
graphed letter head, 333. 

Reynolds, TV. D., 703. 

Rhome, B. C. 717. 

Roan Boy (Culbertson's), 385. 

Rob Roy, champion at Royal 
shows of 1908-9, 1031. 

Robinson, S., 119. 

Rogers, Aaron, 119. 

Round-up and typical western 
range view, 805. 

Round-up of beef steers, 799. 

Round-up of cows on King ranch, 
751. 

Rudolph, Jr., owned by Wyoming 
Hereford Cattle Co., 413. 

Sailor King, 1913 Royal cham- 
pion, 1073. 

Sand hills cattle, 803. 

Sanders, Col. Lewis, 259. 

Sanders. J. H., 375. 

Scarlett, B. C, 830. 

Scenes on "O R" ranch in Ari- 
zona, 741. 

Scenes on ranches in Wyoming, 
767, 791. 

Scottish Lassie, bred by Logan, 
950. 

Section of the Matador headquar- 
ters, 773. 

Shadeland Farm bulls, 495. 

Shand, Geo., 1028. 



INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 



15 



Sherman, John B., 373. 

Sliobdcn Court and Lord Bate- 
man, 162. 

Shockoy, E. S., 998. 

Shorthorn bullocks. Types of, 831, 
413. 

Shotover and bull calf, 1017. 

Simpson, T. A., 477. 

Sir Benjamin (1387), 182. 

Sir Hungerford (3447), 183. 

Sir Oliver 2d (1733), 183. 

Sir Thomas (2228), 182. 

Smith, C. B., 998. 

Smith, Tom, 830. 

Sotham, Thos. F. 15., G31. 

Sotham, Wm. II., 277. 

Sparks, John, 6:>l. 

Spra.vlng cattle in Herefordssliire, 

1014. 
Spring Jack, 251. 
Spur ranch view, 715. 
Stannard, C. A., 625. 
Steers with old-fashioned horns, 

196. 
Steward, John J., 814. 
Stocktonbury — Lord Wilton In 

center, 128. 
Stocktonbury sale ring, 129, 204. 
Stone, Frederick Wm., 311. 
Stone's, F. W., residence and 

barn, 316, 317, 319. 
Stretton Court, home of Yeomans, 

170. 
Stuart, Charles B., 4 47. 
Swan, A. H., 703. 
Swan farm house at Indianola, 

la.. The old, 705. 

Taylor, E. H., Jr., 953. 
Taylor, E. J., 830. 
Thoughtful (5083), 215. 
Thomas, C. R., 845. 
Tod, John, 717. 
Tod, W. J., 779. 
Tomkins", Ben, farm, 51. 
Tomkins, Ben. and family coat- 

of-arms, 49. 
Tow, Cyrus A., 953. 
Trail, Herd on, 795. 



Tredegar (5077), 175. 

Trio of good heifers at "Weston- 

bury," 189. 
Trophies from the shows, 227. 
Tudges, Sr. and Jr., 93. 
Turner, Philip, and Turner, A. P., 

135. 
Turner's, A. P., group of cattle, 

196. 
Two ends and a middle, 1037. 
Types of Herefordshire peasantry, 

31. 
Type.s of "Young Mary" Short- 
horn bullocks, 381. 
Typical western cattle range and 

l)artial view of "round-up," 

805. 

Underwood. J. H.. Geo. and Gil- 
bert, 289. 

VanNatta, Frank, 891. 
VanXatta, J. 1 1, and J. W., 946. 
VanNatta, William S., 461. 
VanNatta's home at Fowler, Ind., 
922. 

Wabash, Earl & Stuart's bullock, 

391 
Walford (871), 155. 
Wallup ranch In Wyo., 791. 
Walsh, Richard, 717. 
Wa.shington (8152), 231. 
Water hole. Cattle at a, 799. 
Waters, Geo., 814. 
Watts, H. B., 998. 
Wellington Court, 45. 
"White faces" on a northern 

range, 809. 

Winter De Cote (4253), 175. 

Wistaston. home of T. Tomkins 
Galliers, 55. 

Wonderful, stock bull used by Don 
Pereyra, 983. 

Woods Principal, champion bul- 
lock International Exposition 
1901, 1001. 

Wyoming ranch scenes, 791. 

Yeld, Edward, 219. 
Yrld, Harry, 103. 
Yeld, T. C. 75. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I — HEREFQRDSHIUK PASTURES AND PIONEERS. 
The Vale of the Severn — Tlie County of Hereford — Hereford- 
shire farming — The pastures — Persistency rewarded — 
Long famous for good cattle — WHience the white face? — 
Some of the pathfinders — Disinterested praise 23-46 

CHAPTER II — EARLY ENGLISH IMPROVERS. 
Benjamin Tomkins — John Price — The Hewers — The Jeffries — 
Kiiiglit of Downton Castle — In the Hall of Fame — Pedigree 
registration established — Color quarrel compromised — Ey- 
ton's editorial troubles — Sold for a song — Mr. Duckham's 
valuable ser\lce — Practical farmers In control 47-80 

CHAPTER III — SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS AND THEIR 

WORK. 

The .strange story of Sir David — The Reas of Monaughty and 
We.stonbury — Tlie Sir Benjamin era — Tudge of Adforton 
— Benjamin Rogers — Sir Tliomas described — The Prices of 
Court House — Mr. John Hill's comment on Horace — Monk- 
house of The Stow — Lord Berwick — Taylor of Showle 
Court — Wlntercott — Roberts of Ivingtonbury — Carwardlne 
— Anxiety (5188) — Lord Wilton (4740) — The Turners of 
The Leen — The Grove 3d — Felliampton Court — J. H. Ark- 
wright — The Leinthall herd 81-14G 

CHAPTER IV— BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE. 
At Oxford and Cambridge — Bristol, Derby and Southampton — 
Shrewsbury and Newcastle — Northampton, York and Nor- 
wich — Exeter, Windsor and Walford — Lewes, Gloucester 
and Lincoln — Carlisle, Chelmsford and Salisbury — Chester, 
Warwick and Canterbury — Leeds, and the Battersea Inter- 
national — Worce.ster and Sir Thomas — Newcastle, Ply- 
moutli and the rinderpest 147-179 

CHAPTER V— MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED. 
Leicester a turning point as to .scale — Quality again triumphs 
at Manchester — Rogers and his tall herdsman — ^Stanway, 
Silver Star and the Australians — Wolverhampton and Car- 
diff — Hull and Bedford — The dam of old Anxiety — The 
Taunton Show of 1875 — Lord Wilton as a yearling — Big 
good classes at Birmingham — Anxiety appears at Liver- 
pool — The Bristol winners — The Kiiburn International 
afloat — Lord Wilton and a blundering bailiff — Anxiety 

17 



18 TABLE OP CONTENTS 

heads the two-year-olds — Leonora, the invincible — Buy- 
ing prize-winners for the States — Historic youngsters at 
Derby — Wilton blood to the fore— Garfield and Henrietta 
— Light show at York — The great Shrewsbury Show of 
1S84 — Archibald — "A clever cross"-^Maidstone and Anx- 
iety Arthur — Prizes at Preston — Good Boy and Rare Sov- 
ereign — Golden Treasure — Newcastle-on-Tyne — Notting- 
ham decisions — The Windsor Jubilee — Fifty years of prog- , 
ress 180-255 

CHAPTER VI— FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS. 
First improved blood in Kentucky — Henry Clay's importation 
of 1817 — A Hereford owned by Lewis Sanders — Intro- 
duced into Massachusetts — Alleged importation into Maine 
in 1830 — The New York importation of 1840 — Erastus 
Corning interested — The herd sold to Sotham — An inva- 
sion of Kentucky — A militant pioneer — The Maine impor- 
tation of 1846 — Other old-time eastern breeders — Tlie 
Chamberlain importation — Dowley importation of 1852 — 
The Ohio importation of 1852 — Early exhibits by IMr. 
Aston — Importation of 1860 — Frederick William Stone — 
A Warwickshire man — First Hereford purchases — Guelpli 
and Sir Charles — The Green blood introduced- — Wide dis- 
tribution of the Stone stock — A man of broad sympathies 
— A strong personality — Hon. John Merryman — Early pur- 
chases from William H. Sotham — Bulls from Stone of 
Canada — Importation of Sir Richard 2d — Giantess and 
progeny — Illinois in service — Prince of the Wye im- 
ported — Final dispersion — A man of mark 256-337 

CHAPTER VII— A FOOTING GAINED IN THE MIDDLE WEST. 
Gov. Crapo's experiments — Humphries and Aldrich active — 
The Illinois and St. Louis shows of 1871 — The Burleighs 
bring Herefords into Iowa — T. L. Miller, the great pro- 
moter — Sir Charles — Repulsed by the Shorthorns in 1872 — 
Thomas Clark's first steps — Clark's first show cattle^ 
Removes to Illinois in 1S87 — Looking towards the range — • 
Success and Dolly Varden — Honors at big shows — George 
Morgan, "Jim" Powell and "Willie" Watson — American 
herd book establislied — Old-time controversies 338-367 

CHAPTER VIII— FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS AND THEIR 
INFLUENCE. 

Breaking away from old standards — John D. Gillett, pioneer 
exhibitor — Some wonderful weights — First fat stock show 
Herefords — "Baby beef" — The second round — Sherman's 
tallow mountains — Shorthorns win again — The block test 
set up — The show of 1880 — Culbertson enters the lists — 
Another "row" over the championship — War to the knife 
— Falling walls — "Last of the Mohicans" — Various types 
in evidence — Imported Hereford steers — First Angus sliow 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 19 

steer — "Doddies" and "Kills" — "Stars" of a memorable 
week — The goal attained — Claronce Kiiklevington's year 
— Regulus and Grace — Rudolph Jr., Nigger, Sandy and 
Pliisli — Tile pendulum swings back — First Angus champion 
— A melting pot 368-416 

CHAPTER IX— HEAVY BUYING IX ENGLAND BEGINS. 
C. M. Culbertson — Hereford Park — Anxiety imported — Anx- 
ieties 3d and 4th — Prettyfacc — Blood concentration — 
Anxiety's imtimely death — Four yearling heifers .sold for 
$4,000 — Anxietie.s 4th and r.th — Description of Anxiety — 
Culbertson's importations of the early "eighties" — Miller 
importations of 1880 — English testimonial to T. L. Miller 
— Clark's Anxiety 3d Imported — Description of Anxiety 
3d — The Anxiety-Peerless nick — Adams Earl and Charles 
B. Stuart — Importation of ISSO — An historic conference — 
After the Lord Wiltons — Clark goes to England as agent 
— Sensational shipment of 1SS2 — Sir Bartle Frere and 
Rameo — Prince Edward and Royal 16th — Venus and Hen- 
rietta at $2,500 — Clark gets Peerless — John Lewis, herd 
manager 417-457 

CHAPTER X— OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY. 

Mr. VanNatta's early experiences — First of the Fowler Here- 
fords — Tregrehan bought — Fowler — Burleigh & Bodwell — 
Gudgell «& Simpson — -"A bull with an end" — Anxiety 4th 
and North Pole — Simpson's discernment — Beau Monde and 
Beau Real — Best Anxiety bulls feo to the range — In- 
breeding — Don Carlos — An outcross that failed — Sons of 
Don Carlos — Dandy Rex and Mischievous — Another out- 
cross failed — Parallel cases of close breeding 458-491 

CHAPTER XI— PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED. 
Rudolph bought for $3,500 — The Grove 3d Imported — A rare 
feeder's type — Advantages in old-established herds — Ben- 
jamin Ilershey — Hon. M. H. Cochrane — Will Hutcheon and 
Cassio — The Leigh and Curry Importations — The Grove 3d 
quartette — Carwardine cows — Archibald — Horace 5th — 
Royal Grove — J. R. Price & Son — The Iowa Hereford 
Cattle Company — Cook of Odebolt — The full list of Im- 
porters of this period — Cattle imported to Canada — The 
herd book bought from Mr. Miller — More stringent rules 
adopted 492-522 

CHAPTER XII— THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR. 
The great fight of 1SS2 — "Rudolph's year" — The scare of 1884 
— The shows of IS 85 — The business overdone — One hun- 
dred dollar tax on Imported cattle — The famous invasion 
of Kentucky — Royal Grove excites admiration — Beau Real 
unfairly beaten — Sir Bartle Frere wins over Washington 
— Beau Real defeats Fowler 523-555 



20 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER XIII— SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS. 
The Ohio show of IS 88 — Earl of Shadeland 2 2d — The big show 
moves west — Western shows of ISSS — Lady Wilton vs. 
Princess Alice- — New alignment in 1889 — Earl of Shade- 
land 30th — Gosling upsets Stocking's work — Clark's "clean- 
up" at Peoria — Cherry Boy champion — The eastern circuit 
of 1890 — The shows of 1891 — John S. Carlyle — Eastern 
circuit of 1891 — Death of C. M. Culbertson — Hereford con- 
stitutions in evidence — Death of Anxiety 3d — The eastern 
circuit of 1892 — Funkhouser enters the lists — World's 
Columbian Exposition — Ancient Briton — Sitting Bull — ■ 
Lamplighter — Anxiety-Peerless again — Miss Beau Real 3d 
— Annabel — Lady Daylight — Bright Duchess 15th — The 
championships — Dark days — A desperate depression 556-620 

CHAPTER XIV — DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH. 
At the fairs of '94 — Some notable transactions — Charles S. 
Cross begins showing — Lars and Free Lance — Trade 
slowly revives in 1896 — Ancient Briton goes to Texas — 
The shows of 1897 — A memorable Minnesota contest — A 
typical breed battle — "The gory hill of Hamline" — First 
appearance of Dale — John Lewis and his troubles at 
Springfield — Beau Real's Maid, Juno and Dewdrop — Death 
of Adams Earl 621-645 

CHAPTEvR XV — CLEARING SKIES. 
The Cross importation — $3,000 for Salisbury — Good buying by 
George H. Adams — Over $400 average for 144 cattle — 
Other sales in the spring of '98 — Beau Donald shown — 
Dale vs. Sir Bredwell — Two inbred toppers : Everest and 
Benison — The Omaha Exposition — Sir Bredwell beats Free 
Lance — Dale wins again — Thickset and Hesiod 29th — 
George Adams' Orpheus — Hesiods again — The great co;ws 
and heifers of 1898 — Dewdrop — Dolly 5th — Diana — Car- 
nation — Group and championship prizes — K. B. Armour 
active — Death of George W. Henry — Another Gudgell- 
Funkhouser sale — Death of Charles B. Stuart — Spring 
sales of 1899 — The curtain falls on stirring scenes — Incep- 
tion of the American Royal 646-678 

CHAPTER XVI — THE LONG TRAIL. 
The Spanish Longhorn — Capt. Richard King — Santa Gertrudis 
— Packing houses in embryo — Capt. Kennedy — First efforts 
at improvement — Breeding up the native stock — The Mor- 
mon cattle — Pacific Coast cattle — Shorthorn crosses in evi- 
dence — The great migration 679-692 

CHAPTER XVII— FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE. 
Making good — First Hereford sale in the west — The Hawes 
and Campbell herds — Hereford endurance demonstrated — 
On the northern range — The Swan Land and Cattle Co. — ■ 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 21 

— The Wyoming Hereford Co. — First Herefords in the 
Panliandle — Adair & Goodniglit — O. H. Nelson brings in 
Herefords — Tlie Price importation — Mrs. Adair actiuires 
tlie property — Ricliard Waisli, Manager — Big demand 
from Texas — Tlie Prairie Cattle Co. — Conrad Kohrs — 
Herefords gooil travelers — Joseph Scott — B. C. Rhomc — 
Reynolds Cattle Co. — The Hereford in California — An 
importation from Australia — Mr. Jastro's experience — Tlie 
Chowchilla herd 603-742 

CHAPTER XVIII— THE RED ROBE OF COURAGE 
Hereford hardiness hereditary — Swan's failure — Al. Bowie's 
testimony — Robert Kleberg — Capt. John Tod — The Capitol 
Syndicate XIT Ranch — Description of the property — Char- 
acter of the XIT cattle — Purebred bulls purchased — 
Herefords predominite — Views of H. S. Boice 743-764 

CHAPTER XIX— PROOF PILED ON PROOF. 
The Carey Co. — The LS cattle — The Matador Land and Cattle 
Co. — Manager Maclcenzle discards grade bulls — A purebred 
herd establishment — Tod of Maple Hill — The Swensons — 
Calves for the cornbelt — Richards & Comstock — Big Horn 
Land and Cattle Co. — The Sparlts herd — Continental 
Land and Cattle Co. — The Marcus Daly outfit — The Bell 
Ranch — Governor McDonald's evidence — George W. Baker 
— The H. G. Adams XI Ranch — Jolin Z. Mean — Ike Pryor 
prefers Herefords — George 11. Webster Jr. — James A. 
Lockhart — The C. B. Company — "Look for bone, all you 
can get" — Wallis Huldekoper — Making good in Old Mexico 
— Scale retained through selection — In-breeding from poor 
material fatal — The open range gone 765-811 

CHAPTER XX— THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE. 
Dale and Armour Rose — Other notable winners — Excess fat 
vs. real bloom — More money for shows — The International 
projected — Dawn of the twentieth century — A Hereford- 
Shorthorn alliance — Spring sales — Death of T. L. Miller 
Dale sold for $7,500 — Kansas City's dual show of 1900 — ' 
Fall sales of 1900 — The first International — The big trade 
of 1901 — Tom Ponting closes out — Death of K. B. Armour 
— Important contests of 1901 — Perfection brings $9,000 — 
Sotham's "criterion" sale — Changes in Hereford headquar- 
ters — March On 6th and Queenly — Beau Donalds to the 
front — Clem Graves' $1,000 average — Broadening the Kan- 
sas City show — A new International champion — A Beau 
Brummel-Fowler nick — The Giltners buy Britisher 812-857 

CHAPTER XXI— HISTORY REPEATS. 
Lower values at auction — Fall sales of 1903 — Death of George 
Morgan — Prime Lad and Beau Donald 5th — Three great 
groups — Death of Benjamin Wilton — Death of Dale — The 



22 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

sale season of 1904 — The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 — 
Aged bulls — The two-year-olds — Senior yearlings — Junior 
yearlings — Senior bull calves — -Junior bull calves — Aged 
cows — The two-year-olds — Senior yearlings — Junior year- 
lings — Senior heifer calves — Junior heifer calves — Get of 
sire (four) — Produce of cow (two) — Championships — 
Group prizes — A VanNatta triumph — Death of Gov. Simp- 
son — Dull days — "Individual merit by inheritance" — 
Autumn sales of 1906 — Cargill & McMillan's great suc- 
cess — Passing of Funkhouser, Steward and Scarlett — The 
Hoxie and other sales of 1907 — Perfection Fairfax arrives 
— The bargain counter of 1908 — A famous heifer class — 
An omen of better days 858-905 

CHAPTER XXII — PROSPERITY REGAINED. 
An upward trend in 1909 — Prime Lads at a premium — More 
ground regained in 1910 — Another Richmond in the field — 
Improvement continues — Death of William S. VanNatta — 
The judgments of 1911 — Auction sales of 1912 — Fairfax 
16 th and Scottish Lassie — Higher levels reached — 
McCray's big average — Other mid-west sales — A big deal 
on the range — Fall sales of 1913 — Fairfax 16th and Beau 
Perfection 9th at $7,500 — A champion from the south — 
Opening sales of 1914 — McCray's $604 average — Steady 
bidding continues — Beau Perfection 24th brings $12,000 — 
The show herds of 1914 906-962 

CHAPTER XXIII— IN FOREIGN FIELDS. 
Exports to South America — Five hundred Herefords to Brazil 
—Uruguay — Argentina — Foundations of Argentine im- 
provement — Shorthorn vs. Hereford — Argentine breeders 
testify — Cabana San Juan — Las Hormigas — San Gregorio 
• — Duggan Bros. — At Esperanza — La Estrella — Australasia 
— The Cape Colonies 963-996 

CHAPTER XXIV — PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT. 
Hints from "Tom" Clark — John Letham's experience — Scale, 
fles'h and fat — How the Harris herd is handled — McCray's 
methods — Mr. Hazlett's views — Tow's practical work — 
Bluegrass management — Fitting for show — An old-time 
herdsman speaks — Ed. Taylor's views — "Jim" Hendry 
heard 997-1032 

CHAPTER XXV— THE "ROUND UP." 

Range-bred calves in the feedlot — The Polled Herefords — Re- 
cent importations — Distribution of the Herefords — Some 
interesting tabulations — About Beau Donald — A story of 
Perfection Fairfax — His trainer testifies — The dam of 
Dale — Harking back to the range — Westward Ho ! — A 
word about herdsmen — An involuntary tribute — As to 
fashions — Modern English Herefords — Conclusion 1033-1079 

"THE COMING OF THE CATTLE" 1080-1087 



CHAPTER I. 

HEREP^rmDSIITKE PASTURES AND 
ITOXEERS. 

A loiit( story tliis of tlie Iloroford oaltlo, l)02:in- 
iiiiig- with ten-year-old oxen in the AVest of P^nghmd 
and ending witli "baby beef" in the xVmerican corn- 
Ix'll. Two centuries of progress on the other side 
the Atlantic and one hundred years in North 
America! Let us waste no words therefore as we 
approach our subject. 

The Vale of the Severn. — lliuh up in the Welsh 
hills, that ancient chain of fossilifcrous rocks called 
by geologists the Cambrian ^Mountains, the peak 
Plynlymmon rises some 2,500 feet above the surf 
that rolls in below fi'oiii th<' broad blue plain of the 
Ix-autiful Bay of Cardigan. From these Cymrian 
heights one may see on the eastern horizon, gate- 
ways that lead down into a pastoral paradise. On 
Plynlymmon 's northern slope a little stream sets out 
upon a roundal)out journey to the sea. The new- 
born Severn — for the little rivulet of which we speak 
is none other than the fountain-head of that historic 
English river — lured perhaps by the prospect of 
dreamy days meandering through rich green valleys 
and flowery fields, proposes for itself an eastward 
course, instead of taking the short westward cut 



24 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

from its mountain home to mother ocean. Descend- 
ing first through the rocky defiles of the highlands of 
Montgomery, gathering force and volume as it races 
away toward English soil, it debouches at last upon 
the plain of Shrewsbury. Loitering awhile in that 
land of the golden fleece, it sweeps past the Wen- 
locks into the south, down through Worcester- 
shire into Gloucester, receives the waters of the 
Avon out of Warwick, and then, as if in sudden re- 
membrance of its birthplace in the west, and weary 
of its wanderings, turns back to lose itself at last in 
the broad estuary that holds the mighty tides press- 
ing up the Bristol Channel from the North Atlantic. 

The County of Hereford. — Within this wide- 
sweeping embrace of the Severn lies Herefordshire 
— ancestral home of the breed of which we write. 
It is not an extensive area. The whole countryside 
lying between the encircling river and the Welsh 
boundary might easily be stowed away within al- 
most any one of our great western states, but it is 
fortunate in the character and intelligence of those 
who live upon its soil, and is celebrated throughout 
all Britain for its grass and cattle. 

Another important stream flows down from 
Wales and wends its way independently into Bristol 
water. While the Severn almost girdles the Here- 
ford habitat the winding Wye bisects it. On its 
banks is the picturesque old city of Hereford. Along 
its sinuous course and that of its tributary, the little 
river Arrow, one traverses the very heart of Here- 
fordshire. Here, and along the Lug, the Hereford 



26 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

fathers did their work; here their sons and grand- 
sons carry it on today. 

The visitor in Herefordshire is constantly re- 
minded that a rough rugged country is contiguous. 
One recognizes the presence of the old red sandstone 
formation. At intervals you glimpse the blue tops of 
the Cambrians in the west. Here and there Here- 
fords graze on precipitous slopes ; but the landscape 
rolls gently for the most part, and the valleys hold 
wide areas of flat fertile fields. The soil is prin- 
cipally a heavy red loam, changing to clay or gravel. 

It is a land fair to look 'upon — a land of good 
roads, comfortable homes, well managed farms and 
a hospitable people intensely loyal to the breed of 
cattle that has carried the name of Hereford around 
the world. As in other parts of Britain, the farms 
are mainly operated under lease. The permanent 
pastures are usually rented by auction, commanding 
at times as high as $15 to $30 per acre per year from 
cattle growers. 

A mixed husbandry in which live stock has had a 
leading part has been practiced in Herefordshire 
as far back as there is record. Small grains, roots, 
apple orchards, meadow lands and pasturage are 
always in evidence, but the red cattle with the white 
faces are everywhere a prominent feature. In recent 
years fruit farming has been increasing and a much 
larger acreage is now devoted to that industry, but 
the raising of live stock is still the most important 
feature in the farming of the county. 



HEREFORDSHIRE PASTURES AND PIONEERS 27 

In Herofonlsliiro one sees verj- few cattle of any 
other breed, and they are also the prevailing type 
in Shropshire, Worcestershire and in several coun- 
ties of central and south Wales. There are also 
good herds in Ireland, the IIer<'ford cross being 
highly esteemed in the Irish markets. 

The area of Hereford breeding in England has 
probably not extended during the last twenty-five 
years. In fact it may have contracted. There used 
to be a colony of Hereford breeders in Cornwall, 
but now there are scarcely any there, the demand 
for fresh milk and dairy products having tended to 
rejilace the Herefords with dniry cattle in that part 
of the country. These remarks ai)i)ly to Hereford 
cattle-breeding generally and not especially to the 
pedigree business, as from the number of cattle re- 
corded in the recent volumes of the herd book the 
latter a])pears to be steadily increasing. 

Herefordshire Farming. — This district is chiefly 
pastoral, but on the best breeding farms a mixed 
system of husbandry is ])racticed. A large quantity 
of straw is choi)i)ed uj) and used for stock feeding, 
mixed with pulped swedes or mangolds. Many cat- 
tle are wintered upon this diet with a small allow- 
ance of hay. The system enables the breeders to 
keep about the same number of cattle in fair condi- 
tion during the winter months as they can maintain 
in the summer. Practically, they get six months in 
door feeding and six months out at grass, the graz- 
ing period varying slightly with the seasons. 



28 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Ordinary farm practices have not greatly changed 
within the life-time of the last two generations in 
Herefordshire. But every operation is carried out 
with as great saving of manual labor as possible, 
and machinery is largely used. Cereals are grown 
more for the supply of straw than with a view to 
making the growth of grain a profitable 'undertak- 
ing, which it has long ceased to be. The way in 
which cattle are now fattened for the butcher, how- 
ever, differs materially from the old days. Early 
maturity and the demand for small joints, with 
a small proportion of fat to lean, have reduced the 
age to which it is profitable to keep the steers. In 
England, as in our own country, early maturity and 
constant progress from birth are found to produce 
the most desirable class of beef. Nearly all the 
Herefordshire steers now meet their destiny at from 
eighteen to thirty months old. There are a great 
many steers reared and sold at twelve to eighteen 
months old to graziers in other counties for the pur- 
pose of fattening and on most breeding farms there 
is no beef made excepting from the draft cows and 
undesirable heifers, it being found more profitable 
to breed a larger number of cattle and sell the steers 
to other people to be fattened. 

Probably most of the home-grown wheat, barley 
and oats (especially the latter) are consumed on the 
farms. In addition large quantities of linseed and 
cottonseed, crushed and pressed into cakes, are used, 
and also compound feeding cakes composed of a 



30 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

mixture of foreign grains and oilseed, as well as 
large quantities of maize that are imported. 

The Pastures. — In view of the good results ob- 
tained by the Herefordshire farmers from their 
grazing lands it may be of interest, while upon the 
subject of the farming of the district, to present a 
few details as to their method of management. 

The principal grasses now used in forming a per- 
manent pasture are perennial rye grass, the vari- 
ous kinds of fescue, cocksfoot, meadow foxtail, 
sweet vernal, timothy, and smooth-stalked meadow 
grass, together with clovers: perennial red, peren- 
nial white or Dutch trefoil and alsike.* But the 
experienced farmer will tell you that of as much im- 
portance as the seed is the matter of having the 
land thoroughly free from weeds, and that liberal 
dressings of manure in the early life of the young 
pasture are absolutely necessary to success. 

These permanent pastures are sometimes seeded 
down with a nurse crop and sometimes without. 
The practice most generally followed is to drill in 
the barley or oats, and after rolling to obtain a firm 
seedbed, the seed is distributed and lightly harrowed 
in, the blades of barley and oats forming a shelter 

*A* typical mixture for permanent pasture, say 40 lbs. per 
acre, would be something like this: Cocksfoot, from 5 to 6 lbs.; 
crested dogstail, % to 1% lbs.; florin, \i to V2 lb.; hard fescue, 
1 to 2 lbs.; meadow foxtail, 2 to 3i,4 lbs.; meadow fescue, 4 to 5 
lbs.; perennial ryegrass, 6 to 7 lbs.; red fescue, 1 to 2 lbs.; rough- 
Stalked fescue, IVz to 2 lbs.; sheep's fescue, 1 to 2 lbs.; smooth- 
Stalked meadowgrass, 1 to 3 lbs.; sweet vernal grass, ^4 to Vz lb.; 
tall fescue, 1 to 2 l-bs. ; timothy, 3 to 5 lbs.; wood meadowgrass, 
1 lb.; yarrow or milfoil, V4 lb.; yellow oatgrass, % lb.; alsike, 1 
to 1»/^ lbs.; perennial red clover, 11/2 to 2% lbs.; perennial white 
Clover, 1 to 2 lbs.; trefoil, 1/2 to 1 lb. 



32 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

for the young grass seeds, first from frost and then 
from the burning rays of the sun. 

It is also common practice in Herefordshire to 
lay the land down to the coarser-growing kinds 
of grass and clover seeds for mowing the first year, 
grazing two or perhaps three or four years follow- 
ing, and then plowing again for the ordinary rota- 
tion of cropping. This is considered a good plan, 
as the land gets a rest during the time it is laid 
down, and the amount of feed obtained by this 
method is in excess of that produced by permanent 
pastures. Speaking of the quality of the Here- 
fordshire grass the veteran English breeder Mr. 
John Hill says in ''The Breeder's Gazette" for 
May 15, 1907 : 

*'I am not aware that the grass in Herefordshire 
is better or richer than in many other of our Eng- 
lish counties or in Wales or Ireland, but I do know 
that some parts of the country where some of our 
best herds of Herefords are located and which have 
been celebrated throughout the history of the breed, 
are especially adapted for bringing out its very best 
characteristics; and that if cattle are taken from 
these favored spots on to weak poor land, and are 
expected to thrive equally well, there will follow dis- 
appointment, and some deterioration in size and 
bloom. In such cases with judicious assistance in 
the shape of artificial food the cattle will carry flesh 
and thrive, yet there is generally a loss of size and 
general richness of character which can only be ob- 
tained where the pasture and surroundings are alto- 
gether favorable." 

Persistency Rewarded. — What the tenant farmers 



IIKKKFORPSHIHE PASTURES WD PIONEERS 33 

of this district liave accomplislied for themselves 
through tlieir steadfast devotion to the development 
and maintenance of their favorite breed affords a 
lesson that may be scanned with profit by stock- 
i-rowcrs of every clime, to-wit: determination ])y 
experimentation as to the type of farm animal that 
thrives best under a given environment, followed 
by specialization in the direction thus indicated. 

Gi'eat Britain al»ounds in a])t illustrations of what 
individual localities can accomjjlish by adhering per- 
sistently and intelligentlj' to a type possessing spe- 
cial adaptation to particular soils or climate. A 
flood of American gold and a ])erennial tribute from 
Smithtield maii<et liav(! indeed comi)ensated these 
West of England farmers and graziers in generous 
measure for all the years of lal)or spent in the devel- 
opment of their white-faced herds. 

Long Famous for Good Cattle. — The history of 
the modern Hereford, like that of the improved 
Shorthorn, does not run back much beyond a cen- 
tury. As in the case of the sister breed, all that 
lies beyond the year 1800 rests largely on inci- 
dental references by various pioneer writers on 
British agriculture, and upon local traditions.* 

As early as 1G27 the author of a description of 
the British Islands, one John Speed, said in speak- 

*Some years apr6 a valuable volume on "Hereford Cattle," 
which lias recently been revised, was written in England jointly 
by Messrs. James Macdonald and James Sinclair, the latter the 
accomplished editor of the London "Live Stock Journal." It con- 
tains an interesting account of the probable origin and evolution 
of the breed, and the author herewith acknowledges his indebted- 
ness to this work for the main facts as to the early English 
history outlined in the opening chapters of this book. 



34 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ing of Herefordshire: ''The soyle is so fertile for 
corne and cattle that no place in England yieldeth 
more or better conditioned." This quaintly ex- 
pressed testimony as to the herds of Herefordshire 
being ''well conditioned" is significant because it 
indicates that the present-day penchant of the breed 
to maintain flesh well on pasture was characteristic 
of the cattle of the valleys of the Severn and the 
Wye long before the type as we now know it was 
established. 

Whence the White Face? — It is impossible to state 
definitely when or how the white face as a distinct 
characteristic first made its appearance. The orig- 
inal local "breed" was probably red, resembling in 
this respect contemporaneous types existing in the 
neighboring county of Devon and also in Sussex — ■ 
which districts, by the way, retain to this day their 
solid reds, carrying wide-spread horns. That these 
and the aboriginal Herefords were co-related seems 
fairly certain, but at an early period the Hereford- 
shire cattle apparently assumed a larger size. There 
were stiff soils to be worked and oxen supplied the 
motive power for the plow as well as for the harvest 
handling. Cattle were valuable primarily as draft 
animals. Size and strength were, therefore, essen- 
tial elements of value, the beef of that age being 
derived mainly from the sale of superannuated oxen 
and cows approaching the end of their period of 
usefulness. In fact it was deemed extravagant to 
slaughter an ox in his prime — say at six years old — 
when he could just as well be kept in the yoke until 




PopvHKht photo by Bustin 



Ol.n TOWN IIAl I .- ;i..Ui.. OKI). 




Copyright photo by Hustln 
HAMPTON rOTTRT— Fn.ni an old ^rint. 



36 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

more than ten! And so it is probable that those 
who were thus unwittingly laying wide and deep the 
foundations for the vigor of the modern Hereford, 
selected the largest, widest-chested, most athletic 
types of bulls for breeding purposes, steadily in- 
creasing the size of their cattle as compared with 
the sturdy little ''rubies" of North Devon.* 

A white breed of cattle with red ears, that was 
evidently accounted superior to the old black moun- 
tain sort, had long existed in Wales, and it is prob- 
able that this proximity accounts for the original 
introduction of white markings among the Here- 
fordshire reds. The blending of the blood of those 
two self-colored races would surely produce broken 
colors, and during the formative period of the mod- 
ern Hereford type, brockle-faced cattle liberally 
splashed with white were in frequent evidence. In- 
deed a bitter controversy raged at one time between 
the advocates of the "brockle faces" and the 
"white faces" as to which was the superior 
"breed." 

A direct introduction of the "bald-face" seems 
to have been made about 1671 through the medium 
of an importation of Flemish cattle by Lord Scuda- 
more. The herds of the Low Countries did not al- 
ways run so strongly towards the black and white 
color now so commonly associated with Dutch cattle. 

*The Devon breed, doubtless refined far beyond its ancestral 
type, still holds its popularity in its native land, and althoug-h 
small as compared with most of our other improved beef breeds, 
is yet highly prized by butchers as well as by those who stili 
use oxen at the yoke. 



HEREFORDSlllHi: PASTURES AND PIONEERS 37 

References to tlic paintings of old masters reveal 
the fact that red and white spotted animals were 
numerous. In fact, various colors were met with in 
Netherland li.erds. Hence the statement made by 
several writers that these Scudamore cattle were 
"red with white face" is not improbable. As they 
were api)arently well received in Herefordshire they 
doubtless left their impress upon the native reds, 
stamping here and there a white face on their 
l)rogeny. 

This Flemish importation into Herefordshire is 
of special interest when viewed in the light of cer- 
tain other facts. Similar blood entered into the 
foundation of the early Shorthorns. Cattle from 
the same source and doubtless of a similar type 
were introduced into Yorkshire an<l Durham not 
long prior to the birth of tlic improved Shorthorn 
by Sir William St. Quentin and ^Michael Dol)inson 
and doubtless accentuated the tendency to broken 
colors that became a permanent characteristic of 
the Shorthorn breed. It is known that white faces 
were not altogether rare among the early Teeswater 
cattle. Jacob Smith's Bull (G08) of Coates' Short- 
horn Herd Book, sire of the dam of the far-famed 
** beautiful Lady Maynard" was described by Bates 
as "yellow red, white face, white back and white 
legs to knee." 

There is a tradition in the Galliers family of a 
"red bull from Yorkshire with a white face and 
rather wide horns" having been l)rought into Here- 
fortlshire about 1750, that "his produce became 



38 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

fashionable" and that ''he laid the foundation of 
the present famous breed." While this latter claim 
is not allowed, in the light of all the evidence there 
is no reason for questioning the fact of this Tees- 
water bull's importation and none whatever for 
doubting the statement as to his color. That his 
get may have been appreciated and used for breed- 
ing purposes is altogether probable. It would ap- 
pear, tlierefore, that at least one little link of kinship 
existed between the ancestors of the first Short- 
horns and the forbears of the modern Hereford. 

Still another candidate, for the honor of "origi- 
nating" the white face appears. The birth of a 
male calf with a white face in the herd of one of the 
Tullys of Pluntington about the middle of the 
eighteenth century was considered by the cowman 
so remarkable, or else that peculiar marking was 
considered so desirable, that it was at once decided 
that the calf should be retained on that account for 
breeding purposes, and one writer, Rowlandson, 
says that his progeny afterwards ''became cele- 
brated for white faces." Although the Tully cattle 
became important factors in the subsequent evolu- 
tion of the breed, it will scarcely do to credit this 
one calf, as some have seemed disposed to do, with 
1)eing the real source of the now universal Here- 
ford badge. He doubtless helped to fix it, but there 
was alreadj^ a marked trend towards white mark- 
ings, including the white face, resulting from the 
use of the Welsh, Flemish and possibly Teeswater 
bloods. 



HEREFORDSHIRE PASTURES AND PIONEERS 39 

It comes, tliereforo, simply to tliis : that as a re- 
sult of this crossing of lii^hter colored animals upon 
solid irds, while markings were inevitably intro- 
duced. Ohviously some white as well as brockle 
faces were certain to appear from time to time. 
Tliis jx'culiar color combination either then caught 
1lie faiic>' of the coniiti\vsi(le or else the first animals 
so marked haiipened also to possess superior form, 
size or (piality, and hence were given preference 
ill subsequent breeding operations, the new color 
being finally established by resort to in-and-in breed- 
ing. Be that as it maj', this *'hall mark" of the 
Hereford came at length to be a recognized, accom- 
piisiied fact, and is today, in western America at 
least, an almost infallible index of the presence of 
Hereford blood, just as the roan color reveals un- 
erringly the trail of the Shorthorn. 

It was not until comparatively recent times, how- 
ever, that the present markings were specifically de- 
fined and generally accej)ted. Many of the earlier 
registered Herefords carried the white the entire 
length of the back — called "hail-backs" or "line 
backs." Some were mottled or "ticked" faced, and 
still others were called "greys." Even as late as 
when Mr. Eyton was seeking to establish the Eng- 
lish Hereford Herd Book in 1846 a feud existed 
between the followers of the white-faced and the 
brockle-faced types, the advocates of the latter re- 
fusing at first to record in the same book with the 
pale faces. Happily, however, harmony was finally 
restored, and after the lapse of many years the ad- 



40 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

lierents of the white-faced sort gained complete as- 
cendency. 

Calves are still dropped at intervals that are so 
badly splashed with white that they are not retained 
for breeding purposes, but such instances are rare. 
Again the white crest is not invariably present. Its 
absence, however, is not a sign of impure breeding, 
as some of our ranchmen have imagined. Eed hair 
around the eyes is also sometimes seen.* This is 
objected to by some, but for no valid reason. It is 
a mere matter of taste. 

Very dark red verging on black is to be avoided. 
It is too often accompanied by harsh wiry hair 
which indicates lack of quality. Pale yellow is not 
to be sought. Some regard it as a sign of delicacy. 
Both extremes are objectionable. Between these 
two will be found the golden mean. Cattle with a 
tendency toward a tinge of orange in the skin are 
almost invariably mellow handlers and good feed- 
ers, and these remarks apply to Shorthorns as well 
as to the Herefords. In any case an abundance of 
hair is desirable. In winter the Hereford should 
grow a heavy coat, with hair so long as usually to 
show a marked tendency to curl. In England where 
the summers are not so hot and dry as in the States 
cattle retain better coats throughout the year, so 
that old-country exhibitors have not the difficulty in 

*"Brown-eyed" calves were always great favorites with cer- 
tain leading- American feeders, among others the late John Stew- 
ard, one of the most intelligent men ever identified with American 
Hereford breeding, and a successful showman. 



HEREF(>RnsniHi: TASTIIfES AN!) PIONEERS 41 

fittiiijLj: for show, in that i)arti('iihir, experienced by 
American lierdsnien. 

Some of the Pathfinders. — The names of Richard 
Tomkins and Benjamin Tomkins (the elder) of 
Kin,u:'s Pyon, (Jalliors of AViiAinore Grange, the 
Tuliys, Skyrnu's and llaywoods are the ones most 
frequently nicnlioned as h'nding i)ioneers in the de- 
vek)pment of the material out of which the breed 
was finally evolved. There is am]de proof that these 
and numerous other substantial farmers of Here- 
fordshire and the adjacent comities of Gloucester, 
Worcestershire, Salop and Monmouth had long 
maintained herds generally recognized as possess- 
ing superior merit for the yoke as well as for graz- 
ing purposes. References to dairy ({uality are not 
infrequent, in fact, they all expected that a cow 
should be able to rear her own calf, at least. 

Ben Tomkins, the elder, was born at the New 
House, King's Pyon, Herefordshire, in 1714; ])egan 
business at Court House, Canon Pyon, about 1738; 
took AVellington Court in 17r)8, where he died in 
1789, leaving six children. The second son — named 
after the father — was destined to become one of the 
most celebrated constructive breeders known in the 
annals of British agriculture. The father was the 
intimate friend and contemporary of AVilliam Gal- 
liers of Wigmore (J range and the two are said to 
have often exchanged breeding stock and to have 
made excursions to distant ])arts together in (]uest 
of fresh Uiaterial from outside sources. 

William Galliers was born in 171.'^ and died in 



42 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

1779. He is supposed to have introduced and used 
the white-faced Yorkshire bull already alluded to. 
His herd is said to have rivaled that of his colleague 
Tomkins, so that Wigmore Grange is generally 
called one of the earlier seats of Hereford power. 
His sons, John and William, carried on the busi- 
ness, and the first auction sale of Hereford breeding 
stock of which there is record, was made by the for- 
mer, Oct. 15, 1795, at a time when values had not yet 
risen. Prices averaged around £13, the top, £32/5s, 
being paid by Mr. Turner of Aymestry — the grand- 
father of Mr. Arthur P. Turner, late occupant 
of The Leen — for a two-year-old heifer. William 
Galliers took numerous prizes with fat Herefords 
at local shows. 

There is little but tradition bearing upon the orig- 
inal herds of the Tullys of Huntington. A bull of 
this blood seems to have founded the herd of Mr. 
Tudge, the celebrated Adforton bull Lord Wilton 
tracing back to him. The first prize ox at the first 
Smithfield was of Tully blood. The white-faced bull 
calf already mentioned as one of the originators of 
the white face probably appeared about 1750, 

Certain it is that the Tully cattle were of good 
scale, for many oxen of Huntington breeding fed 
for the early fat stock shows made enormous weights 
and sold for fancy prices. Moreover, it is said that 
they carried more white than any strain of like 
prominence in the country. The elder Tully is said 
to have had three sons, Samuel at Huntington, Jo- 
seph at Haywood and another at Clyro. At auction 




William Gal Hers Jr. 



44 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

in 1814 Samuel sold 16 breeding cows for an average 
of £51/6s., the best one bringing £100. So many of 
the modern Hereford s trace back to Tully founda- 
tions that it is safe to rank that stock as one of the 
important links connecting the known history of 
the breed with the misty past. 

There is little of record concerning the once 
famous herd of Mr. Skyrme of Stretton. It is said 
to have been somewhat paler in the shade of red 
shown than any of its contemporaries, and as it 
supplied the foundation for many tribes afterwards 
utilized in forming the l)reed as known to us, it is 
probable that the "yellow red" still occasionally 
seen, comes in part at least from that source. The 
Tomkins cattle were of the darker red and the 
TuUys more or less of a mingled red with white, 
giving rise later on to the Downton Castle "greys.'* 

The Haywoods of Clifton and the Teme, Wor- 
cestersliire, had been noted for generations for the 
excellence of their cattle, and in 1800 Samuel of 
that name bred a bull called Prize Fighter that was 
pitted against one shown by a Mr. Nailes of Leices- 
tershire (breed not stated) on a wager of 100 
guineas and the Hereford won. Paintings in the 
possession of the Haywoods show this noted bull 
and also prize bullocks sired by him. One of the 
latter (mottle-faced) won first at Smithfield in 1816 
and w^as called "faultless." It was from the Hay- 
woods that the Jeffries, afterwards celebrated 
breeders, obtained their original stock. 

Disinterested Praise. — Toward the close of the 



46 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

eighteenth century the red or brown cattle with the 
white markings of this district had evidently at- 
tained a high degree of excellence. "Writing in 1788, 
William Marshall, a Yorkshireman who would not 
be apt to prove a prejudiced witness, said: "The 
Herefordshire breed of cattle, taking it all in all, 
may without risque, I believe, be deemed the first 
breed of cattle in this island." He spoke of their 
frame as being "altogether athletic," of their supe- 
riority as "beasts of draught," of the females "fat- 
ting kindly at an early age," and of the fact that at 
the Hereford fair of Oct. 20, 1788, he "saw about 
1,000 head of cattle, chiefly of the Herefordshire 
breed," that were "out of Smithfielcl by much the 
finest show I have anywhere seen." "When it is re- 
membered that this was contemporaneous with the 
formative period of the Shorthorn it helps to estal)- 
lish the fact that the progenitors of the modern 
Hereford were at least the equals of the foundation 
stock of their famous rivals of the north. 



CHAPTER II. 
EARLY ENGLISH OI PRO VERS. 

The first Smitlificld Fat Stock Show was held at 
Loiulon in 1799, and as was the case with the first 
American Fat Stock Show established eighty years 
latci-, ])r()vod a Iloreford o])iK)rtuiiity. In fact, the 
Smithfield ooin])etitions gave a great iin])etns to the 
movement that emancipated the breed from being 
mere beasts of l)nrden into tlic broad realm of beef- 
making as a business, 

A bnHook fed and shown by Mr. AVestcar won first 
inizc and was sold for £10f). lie was described as 
"S feet 11 inches long, (3 feet 7 inches high, and 10 
feet 4 inches girth." Another ox "seven feet high" 
and with "a girth of 12 feet 4 inches" was also 
shown. Entries were made by John Ellman and the 
Duke of Bedford, the latter winning the prize for 
"liest ox fattened witli grass and hay only, in the 
shortest time from yoke." From that day to this the 
Hereford classes at the annual shows of Christmas 
beef on both sides of the Atlantic have been the most 
effective advertising the breed has had. 

About this same date the Plerefordshire Agricul- 
tural Society was formed, the original show of 
l)reeding stock being held in June, 1799, and one of 
the chief prizes falling to one of the Tullys of Hunt- 
ington. This organization did as much to stimulate 



48 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

local interest in good l)reeding as the Sniitlifield did 
in drawing outside attention to the feeding quality 
of the steers. Moreover, the utility of the breed as 
a l)eef-making proposition — as distinguished from 
its value in the yoke — was now rapidly becoming 
recognized, one of the stated objects of the local 
society being ' ' to carry the breed of cattle and sheep 
as to fleece and carcass to the greatest point of per- 
fection. " 

The men who were developing the race at this 
point may or may not have been generally guided 
in their work of improvement by the Bakewell ex- 
periments with the Longliorn cattle and Leicester 
sheep, out of which the theory of close breeding as 
a means of fixing a type had grown. But in view of 
the sensation that had been created by the Dishley 
discoveries throughout the entire kingdom, it is 
more than likely that the first great improvers of 
the Hereford made their earliest advance through 
the adoption of methods similar to those followed 
by the Collings, Mr. Bates and other successful 
manipulators of the Shorthorn type. At any rate, 
credit has always been given to Benjamin Tomkins, 
the younger, as one of the founders of the modern 
Hereford, and his system was clearly one of blood 
concentration. 

Benjamin Tomkins. — Among those generally set 
down as the fathers of the nineteenth century Here- 
fords, seniority is usually accorded to Benjamin 
Tomkins. For at least two generations there had 
been a valuable ''breed" maintained by the family. 



Copyright photo by Bustln 
BFX. TOMKINS AM) FAMri.Y COAT OI' ARMS. 



50 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

Old Richard Tomkins was famous for his work oxen, 
and thought so much of his cattle that they were 
specifically mentioned in a division of his property 
made in 1720. One cow called Silver, in particular, 
and her calf, were allotted specially to his son Ben- 
jamin — commonly referred to as ''the elder" in con- 
tradistinction to his own son of the same name, "the 
younger," the subject of this reference. This in- 
cident of the Silver cow is significant because the 
grandson is said to have laid the foundation of his 
celebrated herd nearly 50 years later, mainly by 
the use of a sire called the Silver Bull (41). It is 
not a violent presumption, therefore, to assume that 
this name indicated a strain of outstanding merit 
running through the original Tomkins stock, which 
was carefully jDreserved and passed on from father 
to son as a precious possession. 

Benjamin, the elder, l)orn in 1714, farmed at 
Court House and Wellington Court, at which latter 
place Benjamin junior was born in 1745. The father 
died in 1789. We liave but meager details as to his 
operations with cattle, but it is supposed that he pre- 
served the old blood and that Benjamin the younger 
first established his eminence as a cattle breeder by 
the use of the Silver Bull mentioned above. 

The purchase of two cows at Kington Fair about 
1766 is mentioned by English authorities as among 
the earliest investments of Benjamin the younger. 
It must of course be understood that this was long 
before the days of recorded pedigrees and herd 
books. All tliat is known is that, according to Mr. 



52 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Eyton, tlie originator of tlio English Hereford Herd 
Book, one of these market cows was a grey called 
Pigeon and the other a dark red with a spotted face 
called IMotllo, and that they attracted the notice of 
young Tomkins — who had begun farming at Black- 
hall, King's P^'on — on account of their evident dis- 
position to take on flesh. It is assumed that other 
selections were made from time to time from the 
best contemporary sources as opportunity offered, 
that in making his purchases the propensity to 
take on flesh was always kept in mind and that color 
was quite a secondary consideration. 

Upon a mixed foundation therefore, in so far as 
blood elements were concerned, the Silver Bull, ''a 
red with a white face and a little white on his 
back," was used with such success as to attract 
much attention, and presently the herd came to be 
noted for three leading ''families" — the Pigeons, 
the Mottles and the Silvers. The latter were the 
color of the bull of that name, the Pigeons were 
grey and the Mottles were speckle-faced. No at- 
tempt was made to fix a uniform color. Form and 
flesh were the objects sought, and by resort to a pol- 
icy of breeding in-and-in the desired qualities were 
ultimately well established. 

Tomkins occupied the Blackball farm until 1798 
when he removed to his birthplace, Wellington 
Court, which he had held under lease since his fa- 
ther's death in 1789. He resided there until 1812, 
at which date he moved into his own place. Brook 
House, King's Pyon, where he died in 1815. 



54 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

By the year 1800 the Tomkiiis herd had acquired 
more than local fame, and shortly after that date 
John Price of Worcestershire, who afterwards he- 
came so famous as a hreeder and jjartisan of the 
Tomkins stock, made his first purchases. Not many 
of the bulls used could be placed on record when 
the work of gathering data for the first volume of 
the herd book was in progress. The necessary par- 
ticulars could not be obtained. The Silver Bull has 
already been referred to. Another of the known 
successes on the herd was Wellington, dark red with 
a mottled face and bosom, calved 1808 and said to 
have been the best stock-getter ever used in the 
herd. He was bought and used afterwards by John 
Price, and sold at his sale in 1816 when eight years 
old for £ 283/lOs. Another of the few bulls of whicli 
there is record was Sam (144), whose son Ben (96) 
was also retained for service. There is also record 
of Wild Bull (11:5), said to have been by Silver Bull ; 
Phoenix (55), another brockle-face ; Proctor's Bull 
(316), out of ''a favorite cow" Old Pink; Voltaire 
(39), a white-face; and Wizard (59), a mottle-faced 
son of Ben (96), sold for 300 guineas. These com- 
]n'ise about all tliat is now known of the Tomkins 
bulls. 

Mr. Tomkins was a man of mark, a "county mag- 
nate," descended from one of the oldest and most re- 
spected "county families." In rural England this 
lias a deep significance especially in the social 
scheme. He easily became a leader in affairs agri- 
cultural, not because of tlie fact just stated, but by 



56 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

reason of his sound judgment in the work of improv- 
ing the h:»cal breed of cattle. 

In 1808 he held a sale of 20 cows and heifers, 12 
oxen and 20 yearling and two-year-old steers, 
the cows averaging £10, the oxen £23, the year^ 
lings £15 and the twos £20. These cattle were 
referred to at the time as '^ allowed by competent 
judges to be equal if not superior to most in the 
kingdom. ' ' 

After Mr. Tomkins' death in October, 1815, the 
herd was inherited by his daughters, his two sons 
having died young. After disposing of a number 
of cattle privately a sale was held in October, 1819, 
that reveals clearly the estimation in which the 
blood was held. A summary of the result is ap- 
pended. 

The 52 head sold made £4,673/14s., or an average 
of £89/17s./6d. each, but a number were steers. The 
breeding animals, numbering 28, averaged no less 
than £149, the total for them being £4,172/6s. The 
detailed figures are as follows : 

Total. Average. 

£ s. d. £ s. d. 

15 cows 2.:i49 2 149 18 9 

3 two-year-old heifers 283 10 94 10 

2 yearling heifers 156 9 78 4 6 

4 bulls 1,071 267 15 

2 bull calves 363 5 181 2 6 

2 heifer calves 56 28 

28 head 4,178 6 Av. 149 

This average compares favorably with those 
made about the same period at the Shorthorn 
sales of Charles and Robert Colling, the Ketton av- 
erage (1810) including the 1,000-guinea bull Comet, 



EARLY ENGLISH IMPROVERS 57 

bein.e: £151/8s. on 47 head, and that at Barmpton 
(1818) £127/I7s. on 61 head. 

The Misses Tomkins with the assistance of a ))ail- 
iff or lierdsman carried on the herd for many years 
with entire success. Tliey took a lively yjersonal in- 
terest in every tiiin.ii: affectin.c: the type^and character 
of the cattle they had inhei'ited.* However, this in- 
stance of important lireedini;- operations directed l)y 
women is by no means exce])tional in British aii^ri- 
cultnral history. The practical work performed by 
Lady Piii:ot, for example, in connection with Short- 
liorns and other fai-m animals was scarcely excelled 
by any of her contemi)oraries. The Misses Tomkins 
lield many draft sales ; their herd was always a popu- 
lar source of supply, and was not finally dispersed 
until 1854, forty years after their father's death. 

John Price. — Chief among the followers of Tom- 
kins was John Price, a Worcestershire farmer who 
became enamored of the type about 1804. Born in 
1776, he was from all accounts a man of rare mental 
gifts. Early in life he is said to have become a 
prime favorite with the Earl of Coventry, and en- 
joyed the friendship and society of ''gentlemen of 
high respectability." Succeeding his father as ten- 
ant of Earl's Croome, he soon turned his attention 
to good cattle and bought his foundation cows from 
the Tomkins herd. About 1811 he gave up Earl's 
Croome and purchased a small property known as 



•Apropos of the color question: for many years the Misses 
Tomkins directed that in the case of all bull calves born in the 
herd those with white "purses" were to be saved for breeding 
purposes and those with red were to be steered at once. 



58 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Ryall, uear Upton, in tlie grassy vale of the Severn, 
leasing additional acreage for pasture. Some five 
years later he took up his residence at Poole House, 
also near Upton. He bred Herefords almost exclu- 
sively of the Tomkins strain throughout the entire 
period, following with evident success the close 
breeding pracHced by his illustrious predecessor. 

Price was a loyal follower of the sage of Welling- 
ton Court, not only breeding from close affinities but 
disregarding color. He had used the great mottle- 
faced bull Wellington (4), as already mentioned, the 
white-faced Voltaire and the two greys, Victory (.33) 
and Trueboy (32). He was careful with his records 
and examination of the early herd books will show 
that his stock was largely used in the founding and 
up-building of many contemporary herds. One of 
the remarkable cows of the Price herd was Tol)y 
Pigeon, a daughter of one of Ben Tomkins' Pigeons. 
She lived to be nineteen years old and dropped 19 
calves, having been accidentally bulled when very 
young and producing when four years old a pair of 
twins. It was said at the sale of 1841 that nearly 
the entire herd then traced descent to this prolific 
source. 

Challenges were common among the British cat- 
tle-growers in those days and Mr. Price was ever 
ready to back his cattle with his cash.* In 1839 he 

*He attended one of Lord Althoi-pe's ram sales in Northampton- 
shire, and after the dinner gave a challenge to show one of his 
bulls against any Shorthorn. Fe succeeded in gettin;^- up a 
sweepstake of five pounds each, which he won with his bull Lundy- 
foot, which, according to the writer of the memoir in the "Farm- 
ers' Magazine," was allowed to be the "completest" animal any of 
the company ever saw. 




JOHN PRICE OF RYALT. 



Copyrlslit photo by Bustln 



60 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

challenged all England to ' ' show a bull and 20 regu- 
lar breeding in-calf cows bred by himself" for any 
sum not exceeding £100 against a like number of 
any sort and owned by any breeder in the United 
Kingdom. This led to a public discussion of the 
relative merits of the Herefords and the Short- 
horns between Mr. Price and Thos. Bates of Kirk- 
levington, but the defiance itself was not met. 

In October, 1816, Mr. Price sold 116 head of cattle 
for a total of £6,728/10s., an average of £58, a Tom- 
kins-bred cow by Silver Bull bringing £215, a two- 
year-old heifer of the seller's own breeding making 
£252, the old stock bull Wellington going at £283, 
the bull Ryall commanding £262 from Lord Talbot, 
and the bull Waxy £341/5s. from the same buyer. An 
idea of the extent of Mr. Price's breeding opera- 
tions and the wide distribution of the Tomkins blood 
made through him may be gleaned from the state- 
ment that at his three sales of 1813, 1816 and 1841 
Herefords to the value of £16,690 were disposed of; 
and as he made a sale in 1820 of which there is now 
no record, if the aggregate of that were added it is 
thought that the total sales at auction alone would 
reach £20,000. 

Mr. Price is said not only to have disregarded 
color markings but dairy quality as well. His cattle 
were criticised by some for the "shortness and 
rather mean appearance" of the horns of the cows. 
He was after something more important. The old 
Tomkins sort was called ''very wide over their hips 
and narrow on their shoulders." This Mr. Price is 



EAKLY ENGLISH IMPROVERS 61 

said to liavc allcrod, "getting his cows iniicli wider 
on tlic cliiiic, Willi less gandy liii)s." 

The Hewers.- We have just seen thai a Worces 
tershire breeder was one of the originators of the 
modern Hereford. Tlie scene now changes to Glou- 
cestersliire, ]\Ionnioiitli and 8hroj)shire, first to the 
east of Hereford, then to the west, and for a time 
to tlie nortli. llerefordsliire men truly cannot claim 
all the credit for their world-famous breed. When 
to the work of Price is added tlie achievements of 
the Hewers in the counties named, and the produc- 
tion of Sir David in Soulh Wales, it must be con- 
ceded that even though llerefordsliire i)rovided the 
raw material the neighboring districts are entitled 
to a share in the honor of having brought the breed 
to its subse(|uent high estate. 

William Hewer was born in Gloucester in 1757, 
married a Miss Hughes of Court Morgan, near 
A1)ergavenny, iSfonmouthshire, and al)out 1787 
moved to that vicinity, supposedly taking with him 
some red-with-white-face cattle from the old home 
of the Hewers to the new. He farmed there for 28 
years, when on account of a bank failure he became 
financially involved, and leaving his wife and fam- 
ily — excepting his eldest son William — he set out 
supposedly to mend his shattered fortunes in Amer- 
ica, but died in New York City within six months 
of his landing on this side of the Atlantic. 

John Hewer, son of William, was born in 1787 
and lived until April 28, 1873. He was reared among 
the Herefords at Hard wick, near Abergavenny, and 




TOHN HEWER. 



Copyright photo by Bustln 




.TOHX T/. HKWKR. 



Copyright photo by Bustln 



64 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

it is saiJ that the young man here formed the opin- 
ion that tlie white face should be firmly established 
as a ])reed characteristic. He removed to Shrop- 
shire in 1817 to manage the farm of Purslow, near 
Craven Arms, taking with him many valuable cattle 
from his father's herd and breeding them there until 
about 1823. William Hewer's family meantime had 
taken a farm called The Grove in Monmouthshire, 
and John also managed that until some differences 
with his relatives caused his removal into Hereford- 
shire, where, during a long, busy and eminently use- 
ful career, he occupied in turn Hill House, Aston 
Ingham; Moor House, Hereford; Brandon Cottage; 
Hampton Lodge, near Hereford; Lower Wilcroft; 
Palmer's Court, Holmer; Vern House, Marden; and 
Paradise Villa, Marden, where he died at the ripe 
old age of 86 years. 

Scale, quality and with the exception of one fam- 
ily, possession of the white face distinguished the 
Hewer Herefords. They were maintained for such 
a long period of time and the letting of bulls on hire 
was so extensively practiced that the blood of these 
cattle became perhaps more widely disseminated 
than that of any others during the period immediate- 
ly preceding the establishment of the Hereford pedi- 
gree record. There are said to have been five dif- 
ferent strains specially valued in the Hewer herd, 
one of which, called the Loftys, was usually "tick- 
faced," not the mottle-face so frequently seen in 
those days, but one with minute ticks or specks of a 
bluish tint. The bulls Wonder (420) and Governor 



EAKI.Y rXGI.ISn [MPKOVKKS 65 

(4G4) lia<l ticked faces, and this peculiarity crops 
out at rare intervals to this day. 

\\ hill' the exact sources of the original herds are 
unknown, Mr. ilewer Sr. is on record as having at 
a very early period in his career ohtained five cows 
and heifers of Tully of Huntington and he had in his 
herd stock descended from "Tomkins' prime cat- 
tle." As in the Tomkins herd the credit for the 
first great success in tlie Hewer herd is laid to a 
hull called Silver (540), ealved in 1797, and de- 
scrihed as "red with a white face." Like Tomkins, 
1 Fewer had recourse to in-l)reeding. He used sons 
and grandsons of Silver (540), and one of the for- 
niei", Old AVellington (507), also red with white face, 
was ])articnlaily ]»iiz<'(l. Through Young Welling- 
ton (505), sanie color, Old Favorite (442), Waxy 
(40.')) and others, the hlood was strongly concen- 
trate! 1. doiin Hewer carried out the same idea in 
liis management, and this persistent reunion of 
hloods flowing from a common source was largely 
instrumental in estahlishing the fame of the strain 
for picpotency. One of the greatest of the Hewer 
1»ulls, Old Sovereign (404), was said to have been 
the progeny of an own brother and sister, a son and 
<laughter of AVellington. It is claimed that he was 
acknowledged to be ''the best bull ever bred in the 
county of Hereford and the sire and grandsire of 
more prize cattle at Smithfield and elsewhere than 
any otln^r l)ull in the kingdom." One of his sons was 
tlie celebrated mammoth Cotmore, first prize Here- 
ford bull at the first Roval of England Show, which 



66 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

was held at Oxford in 1839. Old Sovereign lived 15 
years and was on hire at different times to some of 
the best breeders of his day. 

To enumerate even a partial list of all the famous 
individual cattle bred by John Hewer from his 
father's stock would be to reproduce too much of 
the early English record. On account of his fre- 
quent removals he made many sales, the top figure 
reached being £346/10s. for the four-year-old cow 
Lady Byron. The bull Governor (464) was let at 
£100 the season, Favorite at £200 and Defiance 
(416) at the same figure. As many as 35 bulls were 
out on hire in a single year. Sovereign brought in 
£640/18s. in rentals, Lottery (410) returned £710, 
Lottery 2d (408) £645/lls. and Defiance (416) £525. 
Good prices were frequently realized at private 
sales, the bull Hampton (13) going at £500. In 1840 
a lot was sold for shipment to Australia where one 
of the bulls subsequently fetched 1,000 guineas. The 
produce of the cow Lofty sold for £1,289. 

Some nota1)le instances of longevity and fecundity 
appear in the Hewer records. Red Rose, by Chance, 
was John Hewer's favorite cow. She lived to be 
23 years old and John L. Hewer (son of the breeder) 
says that he believes she produced 20 calves. When 
17 years old she had twins to Governor (464). The 
bull Berrington (435) is said to have sired stock at 
21 years. Sovereign got Cotmore at 15 years and 
Above All (2910) was useful up to 17 years. Sound 
old stock that, one would say ! 

In Monmouth the land upon which the Hewer herd 




r.ipvricht photo hv Bii^tln 



KAiti.iM;. ilKsi i:i I.I. r.i;i:ii r.v .loilN i.. iiKWKU. 




Copyright photo by Bnstln 
LADY BYRON. CALVED 1S33. BRED BY JOHN HEWKR. 



68 A HISTORY OK HEREFORD CATTLE 

was maintained was gravelly and half mountain- 
ous. There was no pampering nor coddling. Size 
and constitution were prime objects and the stock 
became noted for its vigor as well as quality. John 
Hewer kept these characteristics steadfastly in 
mind, and his success prol^ably entitles him to be 
called the greatest Hereford breeder of his genera- 
tion. 

The Jeffries. — No reference to those who devel- 
oped tlic Herefords in England during the first half 
of the idneteenth century would be complete with- 
out mention of the name of Jeffries. They finished 
their labors in the ante-herd book days. Most of 
their cattle were bred on the farms known as The 
Sheriffs, Lyon shall and The Grove, Pembridge. The 
stock came originally from the Ilaywoods of Clif- 
ton, while the fine old strains of Edward the elder 
(1720-1807), Edward, junior (1755-1834), and 
Thomas, senior (1759-1840), were among the best 
in the district. Tliomas, the younger (1796-1843), 
attained special fame as a breeder, largely through 
the use of Hewer bulls. He had on hire at different 
periods such celebrities as Sovereign (404), Lottery 
(410), Byron (440) and Fitzfavorite (441). The 
cross of these great bulls upon the old Jeffries fam- 
ilies produced cattle of splendid scale, substance 
and quality. 

The first Royal show was held at Oxford in 1839. 
Li that year a very celebrated bull won the prize as 
best aged bull, viz., Cotmore (376). He was then 
onlv 3 rears and 10 months old. He was bred and 




LADY C.UOVK AT FOm YKARS OLD AND CALF FOKllI A HAr.LACII. 
Iliid l.v T. .Ti fTilis. wlnnor at tlic Koyiil of 1843 and sold for 1!;5 guineas. 




IlOl'r, i4:iO>. 



CopyriKlil pliolo by Bustln 
CALVKD IN 1836— Bred by Thos. Jeffries, sire Byron (440), dam 
Cotinore's dam. 



70 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

exhibited by Mr. Thos. Jeffries of The Grove. The 
old portrait of this bull shows that he was a fine 
specimen of the immense Hereford bull of the color 
and type which Mr. Jeffries was very particular in 
maintaining. Cotmore was a son of John Hewer's 
Sovereign (404), his dam also by a Hewer bull Lot- 
tery (410). He was remarkably big and level, and 
it is officially recorded that he weighed as an aged 
bull 35 cwt. or 3920 lbs., probably estimated. This 
has been claimed as the record weight for all Brit- 
ish-bred bulls. 

The Jeffries were at this time generally acknowl- 
edged as reliable and leading Hereford breeders, and 
Thos. Jeffries was most highly esteemed up to the 
time of his death in 1844. The farm of The Grove 
in his time and in that of his successor Benjamin 
Rogers was the birth-place of many of the best Eng- 
lish Herefords. The house is an old-fashioned one 
standing quite by itself; the road leading up to it is 
through a bye-lane first, and then through fields that 
must be good and strong by the way The Grove 
Herefords were always brought out. 

Another extraordinary animal bred by Thomas 
Jeffries was the cow Governess, owned by J. B. 
Green of Marlow. She is said to have lived to be 33 
years old and produced the twin bulls Zeal and Zeal- 
ous but a few years prior to her death. 

Although John Plewer and Thomas Jeffries are 
generally credited with being largely instrumental 
in turning the tide of battle on color markings from 



EAKLV EXGMSII IMl'HUVERS 71 

the mottle to tlic white faces it is not so certaiu that 
they regarded tlie latter as intriDsieally superior. 
On the contrary Wm. Tudge, late of Leiuthall, in a 
letter to the author says : 

"I have seen several of Hewer's bulls at different 
times. I well remember seeing one called Above All 
at an old Hereford breeder's place, that of Edward 
Bowen of Corfton, South Shropshire. He wished us 
particularly to see his bull, of wliicli he was very 
proud. This was a big and good bull, but his char- 
acteristics did not quite please me, for h^ had a lot 
of small ticks of red in the white on his face and 
forcliand in the white on neck and brisket. When I 
spoke about it the owner said, 'I like him all the bet- 
ter for that, and so does old John Hewer. It is his 
old Lofty cow's breed.' Hewer's son told me some 
time afterwards that his father really liked this 
strain best, although he liked his white-faced ones 
also and was very particular in keeping to their 
right crossings, and that he, like Mr. '^Phos. Jeffries, 
kept very strictly to the white face and right mark- 
ings for those."* 

Knight of Downton Castle. — Possessed of a fine 
country seat, Thomas Andrew Knight (born 1759, 
died 1838) was educated at Oxford University and 
during a long series of years devoted the resources 
of a well trained intellect to the advancement of 



♦Incidental to this episode Mr. Tudpre writes: "I had pone to 
Mr. Howen's as one of two judges of roots for the Ludlow Agri- 
cultural Society along with another Hereford breeder, George 
Roberts of Trippleton, Leintwardine. Mr. Bowen had entered for 
the best six acres of swedes. It was a very wet day. Of course 
the swedes were very wet. but he was very anxious we should 
thoroughly see and measure them, and said, 'Vou ;ire two sport- 
ing gentlemen, but 1 will show you how to get your knees dry,' 
for we Were both riding. On returning, as soon as we dismounted, 
the groom took our horses, the old gentleman himself brought 
us some dry old hay to stuff in the knees of our breeches. We 
were dry and comfortable directly. I have many times done this 
since when out riding or shooting." 



72 • A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the agricultural interests of the community in which 
he resided. While he acquired high reputation in 
the field of scientific horticulture he began studying 
the problem of how to improve the cattle of the dis- 
trict sometime about the year 1775. It is said that 
he desired to obtain a type adapted to "a somewhat 
poor and uneven locality," and in his subsequent 
breeding operations he displayed originality and 
marked ability. Some of the larger Herefords he 
declared absolutely unsuited to his purpose because 
they were too uncertain on their legs for the steep 
hillsides of some of his pastures. He would have 
naught to do with "lambs' knees" or "sickle liocks," 
and one authority states that he was so fastidious 
upon this matter of free action that he would not 
purchase a l)ull calf until ho had first seen him trot 
as well as walk. His "trotting l)u]ls" were the butt 
of frequent jokes from the neighboring tenantry, 
but he lived to see tlie importance of strong, well 
set legs and niml)le feet freely acknowledged. 

His first selections were from the herds of Tully 
of Huntington, Tomkins and Skyrme, and from the 
former he evolved the famous Downton Castle 
"greys." Indeed one of his original breeding cows 
is said to have been white, producing Snowball (246) 
of the Hereford Herd Book, known also as 
"Knight's White Bull." Whether by chance or by 
design, the mingling of the Tully blood (with its 
strong tendency to white) with the pale red of the 
Skyrme stock and the darker Tomkins strain pro- 
duced a race of greys or roans that possessed con- 



EARLY ENGLISH I.MI'rUJVERS 7.T 

stitution, Hcsli aiul IVediny (juality aii<l became wide- 
ly celebrated. Xot many of the Dowiiton cattle are 
on record, hnt some of the best of tlie English herds 
of the herd l)ook period — incliidinu* that maintained 
by Mr, John lliil of Felhampton C'ourt — acknowl- 
('(Iged heavy indel)tedness to them. 

In the Hall of Fame.— It is not our purpose to 
go into great detail as to all those wlio contril)uted 
to the creation of the latter-day Hereford, but we 
caimot pass on to the herd l)ook period without re- 
cording at least the names of a large group of intel- 
ligent, able men who made skillful use of the plastic 
material at their dis})osaI. 

'I'liere was for instance llic ^'eonlans family. Kicli- 
ard ami doliii with their famous old-time herds were 
on the side of the white face as against the mot- 
tle-face and helped to win the day for the former, 
while in comj)aratively recent times, John II. and 
Ileiny Veonums acquired prominence in the exten- 
sion of the llei'eford dominion throughout western 
America. 

James ^'ai woi'tli, lirst in MouHioutli and later in 
iiei-erordshire, connnenced breeding in 1802 and for 
IS years was a power in the trade. His most noted 
bull wjis Trojan (192), shown at Hereford in 181G 
;ind called by the awarding connnittee "the finest ani- 
mal ever shown before the society." 

W. Walker of Burton near Clifton-on-Terme and 
liis son J. "Walker of Lulsley Court, Worcestershire, 
were men wjio also helped luiild up the breed. Prox- 



74 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

imity to John Price led to free crossing of the Walk- 
er cattle with the Tomkins blood. 

Rev. J. R. Smythies of Lynch Court began about 
1806. He championed the mottled faces and drew 
largely for his material from the herds of Tomkins, 
Price, Yarworth, Skyrme, Tully and Walker. He 
was for a long series of years one of the most en- 
thusiastic supporters of the breed and as late as 
1849 challenged the kingdom to show four two- 
year-old Hereford bullocks and four yearlings at 
Smithfield against eight Shorthorns or Devons of 
like age for 100 guineas, but nothing came of it. 

Theophilus Salwey of Ashley Moor, a disciple of 
Knight, bred Herefords for some forty years and 
had good success in manipulating the Downton Cas- 
tle strains. The great show and breeding bull Sir An- 
drew gave the herd its first repute and Mr. Knight, 
who frequentl}^ saw the herd, testified that many of 
the animals at Ashley Moor were an improvement 
upon his own. The herd was dispersed in 1844. 

T. C. Yeld of The Broome, who began about 1820, 
was the son of a Herefordshire grazier and when he 
took up breeding his practical knowledge of cattle 
soon brought success. Between 1829 and 1849 he 
won not less than 25 prizes at the Herefordshire 
show, but one other breeder — Roberts of Ivington- 
bury — of that period carrying away a greater num- 
ber during the same years. He used among other 
noted sires Mr. Knight's Snowball (246) ; Red Robin 
(263), sire of Smithfield winners; Young Cupid 
(259), a great winner and sire of prize-winners; 




T. C. TELD, 



Copyright photo by Bustln 



76 A HISTORY OF HEREP^ORD CATTLE 

and Tobias (487), a show bull himself and sire, it 
is said, ''of more prize animals than any other bull 
that has ever been in the country." The Yeld fam- 
ily holds a prominent place in Hereford traditions. 

The Turners of Aymestry, Noke Court and The 
Leen, have written their names indelibly in Hereford 
trade annals. James, the grandfather, commenced 
at Aymestry l)y purchasing at the Galliers sale at 
Wigmore Grange in 1795. In 1803 he challenged the 
countryside to show a six-year-old ox for 100 
guineas, ''for weight and least coarse meat." Hia 
son Philip and the latter 's son Arthur P., have 
helped make modern Hereford history and will be 
again referred to. The elder Turner used bulls 
from Jeffries, Knight and other leading contem- 
porary breeders, and bred the bull Chance (348), 
the accidental mating of which with one of his own 
daughters produce<l the renowned Sir David (349). 

Tench of Bromfield, the Messrs. Williams of 
Thingchill Court and Brinsop, Weymen of Moreton 
and Stockton, John Morris of Stocktonbury, Jones 
of Breinton, Sir Hungerford Hoskyns of Harewood 
Grange, W. C. Hayton of Moreton Court, Bluck, 
l*arry, Kedward, Rocke, Clarke, Longmore, Carpen- 
ter and a score of their contemporaries should bo 
named and deserve to have their exploits in Here- 
fordom recounted, but this portion of our story al- 
ready grows too long and we can pay only this pass- 
ing tribute to their work. 

Pedigree Registration Established. — The Here 
ford Herd Book of England was established in 1846. 



KARLV KNUI.ISII IMPROVERS 77 

It rcuiaiiRHl for a Sliropsliire man to take tlie initia- 
tive. Mr. T. V. Eylon of Donnerville, Wellini^ton, 
Salop, (lid for 1 lie I Icrcfonls wliat old Geor^'e Coates 
of (iieat Suieaton, Yorkshire, had done for the 
('(|ually caiT'lr'ss Shorthorn breeders a few years 
)ire\ious. 

Mr. Isylon, we are told, had i^'one into Hereford- 
shire to hny some breetlini;' cattle for his own nse 
and findinu', with the e\ee])tion of John Price's rec- 
ords at Kyall. much etuifiisioii existing" as to the 
.U'enealoii) of iiiosi of llie In^rds visite<l, determined 
to henin eoni]tilini;' i)edioi-ees for his own private in- 
formation. Snhseqnently on being" promised assis- 
tance by several prominent breeders he decided to 
collect material for ])nblication. 

Color Quarrel Compromised. — Serions diniculties, 
however, were at once encountered. Some were 
donbtfnl as to the utility of such a work. Others jire- 
ferred to shroud their own particular practices in 
more or less mystery. Why indeed sliouhl a "trade 
secret" be ,c:iven away nmu'cessarily ? T*)ut worst of 
all was the keen ri\alry of different warrine^ fac- 
tions. There was first the color line with all its di- 
vision of sentiment. Those who had used the Tully- 
Tomkins-Price-Knis'ht and allied strains freely were 
powerful, and many of that school not only de- 
clared the mottle-faces best but clearly entitled to 
a record of their own. Those who had ])y tlie use 
largely of the Hewer and Jeffries and Yeomans bulls 
got a white-face standard fairly well established 
were positive that their sort was most desirable. 



78 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

After much unprofitable wrangling a compromise 
was effected. It was agreed that the pedigrees 
should be arranged in four sections: mottle-face, 
white-face, grey and light greys, precedence to be 
given in the order named. Only bulls were regis- 
tered in the initial volume. 

The book appeared in July, 1846, and carried the 
names of 551 animals. It contained colored draw- 
ings of four bulls illustrating the varieties rec- 
ognized: Tomkins' Wellington (4), mottled face; 
Price's Victory (35), grey; Jeffries' Cotmore (376), 
white face; and Ricket's Broxwood (485), light grey. 

Eyton's Editorial Troubles. — Much interesting 
information concerning individual celebrities was 
incorporated, and but for Mr. Eyton's patient ef- 
forts much of this would never have been handed 
down. The Herefordshire Agricultural Society in 
1849 thanked the compiler for the benefit conferred 
and urged all to extend him support. Notwithstand- 
ing all this, however, it was six years before he was 
able to announce the second volume containing the 
record of 350 more bulls. In this volume he still 
complained that many breeders had failed to supply 
desired information, in view of which fact he an- 
nounced that it was not his intention to carry the 
work further unless breeders generally came for- 
ward and heartily co-operated. Whereupon the 
Herefordshire Agricultural Society passed a memo- 
rial pledging its members to support and to purchase I 
copies of the work. This was coupled, however, with 
a request that subsequent volumes be published *'in 



EARLY ENGLISH IMPROVERS 79 

as cheap a form as possible" and that **the prints 
be liercafter omitted." Eyton, like ninny another 
pioneer l)et'()re and since, disheartened by such 
doul)tfuI backing declined to proceed with the work, 
and but for Mr. W. C. Powell of Hereford, who 
stepped in at this juncture and bought the copyright, 
publication would have been suspended for a time 
at least. Mr. Powell published the first part of tho 
tliird volume in 1856, but died before the second part 
was ready for press. 

Sold for a Song. — It does not seem to be specially 
to the credit of the English Hereford breeders of 
this period that on the 15th of July, 1857, the Here- 
fordshire Agricultural Society should have voted to 
pay the heirs of the deceased editor the munificent 
sum of £10 (less than $50 American money) for the 
whole work as it tlien stood, and iiuuicdiatoly thcre- 
afler voted that if ]\lr, TJiomas Duckham of Bay- 
sham Court sliould repay this amount to the society 
and agree to i)ublish the book annually, he might 
have it and charge thereafter an entrance fee of one 
shilling for each animal recorded. As Powell's 
solicitor testified that tlie book had already cost the 
deceased over £30, no account apparently ever hav- 
ing been taken of poor Eyton 's weary wanderings 
and long months of preparation, the organization 
certainly drove a bargain sharp enough to satisfy 
the thriftiest member. 

Mr. Duckham 's Valuable Service. — The society 
not only thus recovered its £10 l)ut it put the Here- 
ford Herd Book into eminently competent hands. 



80 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mr. Duckliam, who afterwards became an influential 
member of the House of Commons and rendered dis- 
tinguished service to the farming interests of his 
country, brought intelligence and enterprise to the 
rehabilitation of the herd book, and soon placed it 
upon a substantial footing. He carried it from 1857 to 
1878, at which date it was taken over bj^ a herd book 
society of which Mr. J. H. Arkwright was the first 
President, the Earl of Coventry, Vice-President, and 
Mr. S. W. Urwick, Secretary. 

Practical Farmers in Control. — For many years 
following the establishment of the herd book noth- 
ing of a reactionary character intervened to retard 
the steady progress of tlie Herefords toward their 
highest development as quick-feeding, early-matur- 
ing, thick-fleshed cattle of a robust type. These were 
quiet uneventful years of unconscious but neverthe- 
less efficient preparation along rational lines for 
the great days so near at hand, contrasting sharp- 
ly for the most part with the feverish activity and 
wild orgy of pedigree speculation whicli during the 
latter half of this same period attended the trade in 
Shorthorns. While the entliusiastic adherents of 
the great rival breed were working themselves up 
to the frenzy that culminated in that unparalleled 
international episode at New York Mills, where one 
cow of the Duchess family was bid off for $40,600 
and 109 head of Bates Shorthorns averaged $3,504, 
Herefordshire was still pursuing the even tenor of 
its way all untouched, as yet, by the blighting breath 
of anv ''boom." 



CHAPTER III. 

soM?: ENUTJSH breei)-buili)f:rs and 

TIIEIK WORK. 

TTnviii.u' detailed in tlie ])roee(lin^ oliapters the sow- 
ing of tlie original seed, we shall now note briefly how 
a sneceeding generation eultivnted in ITerefordsliire 
the field that was ])resently to yield sneh a golden 
harvest. It is a plain, unvarnished tale of steadfast 
devotion to an ide.d, of faitliful lionest breeding 
along iidensely pi-aeti<'al lines, nntrammeled by the 
l)ondage that is imposed by the following of fads and 
fancies. ( )nly the more marked successes can be men- 
tioned. The task of doing full justice to the rank 
and file of England's modern breeders of tlie Here- 
ford must be left to old-country scribes. Our work 
is mainly witli the newei- and larucr field into which 
the breed has now entere<l in the Western Hemi- 
sphere. So, we touch in dealing with the middle and 
more modern stages of the breed in its native land 
tliose points mainly that connect up directly with the 
American tra<le, the object being to give the stu- 
dent of Hereford breeding as it exists in the United 
States a general idea of the sources from whence our 
l)resent-day herd book stock was principally derived. 

Certain names are so frequently encountered in 
the examination of Hereford records that the fol- 

81 



82 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

lowing statements of fact seem essential to an in- 
telligent reading of American pedigrees. Wherever 
''white faces" are bred and catalogued, references 
to some of these historic names are constantly made, 
and while the limits of this work will not admit of 
particularizing as far as some may wish, we shall at 
least try and locate the "mountain peaks" appear- 
ing on the English Hereford map prior to the era of 
extensive American importations. 

The student of Hereford records is early con- 
fronted by such names as Sir David, Sir Benjamin, 
Sir Thomas, Horace, Lord Wilton, Anxiety, and 
The Grove 3d; and coupled with the designations of 
these and other epoch-making sires will be found 
the names of such men as Rogers, Tudge, Rea, Lord 
Berwick, Price, Turner, Carwardine, Robinson, Hill, 
Arkwright, Roberts, Edwards, Taylor, and other 
distinguished breeders of the golden age of Here- 
ford development in English pastures. To a brief 
consideration of some of these animals and person- 
ages we now turn. 

The Strange Story of Sir David. — We are apt 
to plume ourselves unduly over what has been 
accomplished by man in the upbuilding of the breeds. 
We credit most of our progress to the acumen of cer- 
tain distinguished individuals who have left an un- 
doubted impress upon the plastic material with 
which they liave successfully wrought. We affect 
profound knowledge of some of Nature's most sub- 
tle processes. There are many things we do know 
about the transmission of hereditary qualities, the 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BriLnERS 83 

effects of in-breeding, out-crossing, environment, and 
all those other matters eonnnonly snpposed to enter 
largely into breeding problems. Now and then, how- 
ever, something quite outside our own little horizon 
makes its appearance to the utter confounding of 
some of our pet pro|)Ositions. Listen to one of tlie 
strangest stories in bovine history. 

There is nothing more lirnily cstablislicd in 1 Fere- 
ford annals than the fact that the l)ull Sir David 
(349) was not only the greatest of his day and gen- 
eration as a sliow bull, but as a sire as well. During 
his own long and sensational career in the flesh, he 
was the terror of all adversaries of all l)i-eeds at 
shows great and small, national and local; and af- 
ter his death he lived again in his sons and their 
sons, such as Sir Benjamin, Sir Thomas, Sir Roger 
and T^iord Wilton, factors every one in bringing the 
breed to its highest perfection. But "tell it not in 
Gath; publish it not in the streets of Askelon;" this 
bull of Hereford bulls, one of the undoubted prodi- 
gies of the bovine ag<'s, had no breeder at all. Xot 
oidy that but he was the result of a match such as 
is now and ever has been set down as Impossible. He 
came literally by Chance. A bull of that name (him- 
self of uncertain paternity) accidentally broke from 
his box and served an own daughter called Duchess 
2d. This misfortune, as it was doubtless regarded at 
the time by the owner, occurred upon the farm of 
David Williams of Newton, Breconshire, in Wales, 
in 1844. From this union a bull calf eventuated in 



84 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

February, 1845. Ghaiice himself was not a product 
of a specially-ordered mating. Any one of several 
precocious bull calves running with some heifers 
might have been his sire. His mother, called Vic- 
toria, had been bred by Turner of The Noke, Leomin- 
ster, and was deep in the best John Hewer blood run- 
ning back to old Sovereign. This was rugged old 
stock, strong enough it seems to withstand even 
breeding from the ver_y closest affinities, xlt any 
rate, this "double Chance" came into the world via 
Nature's own route, and he soon began making his- 
tory. 

At the Royal Society's show at Newcastle in 1846 
the "future great" was introduced to the public, 
winning first in tlie Inill calf class. He had been 
bought at the Newton sale for 100 guineas by Mr. 
I. N. Carpenter of Eardisland, Herefordshire, who 
dubbed him Sir David in honor of Mr. Williams, 
owner of the dam, but Edward Price of Court House 
had taken a great fancy to the bull and bought him 
for service at Pemln-idge, Here he developed into 
the sensation of the day, his wonderful scale, vigor, 
flesh and general character marking him as the most 
extraordinary bull the breed had yet produced. He 
was a winner at the Herefordshire shows of 1847 and 
1848 and at the Norwich Royal of 1849 swept all be- 
fore him. Later in the season, at Ludlow in Septem- 
ber, he won the Challenge prize open to all breeds 
in the United Kingdom, and first prize for bull with 
four of his get. One of the latter, Pembridge (721), 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS 85 

had also been the first prize bull calf at Norwich. To 
this day old breeders in Herefordshire recall this 
show season as "Sir David's year." However, he 
had otliei- yeai-s, many in fact and all full of hon- 
ors. At Ludlow in 1850 he a^^aiii was crowned 
cliainpioii of all Brilisli bulls on exhibition. 

Having- such a good i)roinise as Pembridge in 
siulit, K<lward Price after tiiree years' use of Sir 
I)a\id sold hini to go out of the count i\. .lames 
l.ninsdcu of .\iiclitr\' House, Al)erd('ensliire, Scot- 
land took him oil' to the North, to sliow the canny 
Scots that there were other great cattle in the world 
beside their own black ''humlies" and the Sittyton, 
or Cruicksliank, Shorthoi-ns. I'ut the wise men of 
tliose days in Hereford had enter|)rise enough to go 
bi-ing him back to where his wonderful procreative 
] towers might find full swee]) for the best interest of 
the local lii-eed. So he came home. Turner of The 
Noke, breeder of Chance's dam, got him. It would 
be interesting to know all the facts that led to Sir 
David's repeated transfers, but it is probable that 
they grew out of the general competition that evi- 
dently ensued as to his ])ossession. He next ap- 
peared as owned by Mr. Higiiins of Woolaston 
Grange, Chepstow, and liJially landed in the fine old 
hei'd of Lord IJerwick of Crcmkhill, at which place he 
did not become useless until his fifteenth year when 
he was fed off to the butcher. 

The Reas of Monaughty and Westonbury. — 
rlames Rea, a Radnorshire farmer, was another one 



86 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of the pathfinders. He was in a district that was 
prolific of good Herefords, among his neighbors be- 
ing the senior Tudge, Ben Rogers, and Monkhouse 
of The Stow. Mr. Rea had commenced about 1816 
with a bull of Knight 's breeding. Then he had Old 
Court (306), representing a mingling of Tomkins 
and Tully strains. Blood concentration was in evi- 
dence here as elsewhere, a son and a grandson of 
Old Court being used upon the herd. A famous 
stock-getter of his day, Regent (891), "with a dark, 
curly coat, broad forehand and top," was probably 
the best of the early Monaughty stock bulls, siring 
many prize-winners. Then came Grenadier (961), 
succeeded by Chieftain (930) and his two sons Treas- 
urer (1105) and Pilot (1036), both noted breeders. 
From Turner Mr. Rea then got Wellington (1112), 
the sire of many great show beasts. 

Thos. Rea, son of James, bred good Herefords for 
many years at Westonbury near Leominster in Here- 
fordshire. He bought from his neighbor Ben. Rog- 
ers, living but a few miles distant, Sir David's son 
Sir Benjamin (1387). The bull was then a yearling, 
or possibly a two-year-old, and was subsequently 
transferred to Mr. Rea, Sr., of Monaughty. In these 
herds he did extraordinary service, taking and hold- 
ing for many years the center of the English Here- 
ford stage. To his cover Monaughty was indebted 
for the celebrated cow Queen of the Lilies, champion 
at the Manchester Royal of 1869 and dam of King 
of the Lilies (3892), sire of Helianthus (4641) and 



SOME ENOMSn BRKKD-BlIIJiKKS b7 

otlicr «^()0(1 ones. Tlicmias Rca lucd ainoiii!: otlicr iiii 
prcssivc sires from Sir Benjamin, Sir Kicliard 
(17.'U) an. I Sir Oliver iM (17.').'l), cliamition at tin 
AVon-ester Royal ol' 1S(>.*>, wlierc lu* was exliiltitcd by 
Mr. Arkwritrlil. 'I'liis latter l»ull in turn was tlie sire 
of Sir KiclianI iM 'J7()a— "OKI Dick" of American 
Jlei'er(»r(i history. 

The Sir Benjamin Era. — Sir Benjamin was 
clearly the sncccssor of his sire Sir David as the pre- 
mier stock-.iretter of his time, and his j)ro^eny soon 
set still hitcher standards for the sliowrinff. It was 
at the Chester Hoyal of 1858 that Sir Benjannn was 
first flashed hy Tom T?ea upon the j)u1>lic. Uo wa.^ 
then hut two years and Utuv months old, and had t( 
show in an iXixrd class, lie nevrrtlicless stood socond 
to Price's five-year-old Cioldlinder iM in a class of 
nine. His p't at "Westonluiry and Monauirhty be- 
came the sensation of their day and at the Worces- 
111- h'(iyal (>r IS(i;i tliey eanie to the front witii a rush, 
takini!: four firsts and thre<' second j)rizes. 

Space will not admit of our tracinij: here in detail 
the sale and showyard trimn])hs of this hlood ; sulhcc 
it to say that a comi)ilation of the results of the lead- 
ing shows of the perio<l trave rise to the assertion 
that "Sir Benjamin was the sire of more winners 
than any other known Hereford hull." Within a 
very few years his imnuMliate deseenihints liad won 
more than fifty Royal ])rizes; three of his sons, Sir 
Kichard, Sir Oliver I'd and Sir Thomas, had won 
Koyal firsts, and the massive Queen of the Lilies, 



88 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

still called by some old Herefordshire breeders the 
best cow they ever saw, swept all opposition at the 
Royal and the Bath and West of England shows. 

The Sir David and Sir Benjamin bulls had be- 
come the fashion of the time and indeed fairly in- 
troduced the modern Hereford. They were dis- 
tinguished for scale and prepotency, and the blood 
found its way into nearly every contemporary herd 
of importance. A good illustration of the vigor of 
the breed in those days is afforded by a case where 
one of Mr. Rea's neighbors, Mr. J. B, Green of 
Marlow,* sent a very old cow of Jetfries blood. Gov- 
erness by name, and full twenty years of age, to be 
bred to Sir Benjamin. The result was a pair of 
twin bulls Zeal (2342) and Zealous (2349), the lat- 
ter resembling Sir Benjamin very much in size and 
general character. All Marlow cattle imported to 
America in later years were big ones. 

The Worcester Royal and the Monaughty disper- 
sion sale of 1863 gave a wonderful impetus to what 
we may call the Middle Period of English Hereford 
history, sometimes called ''the Sir Benjamin era." 
Undoubtedly this sale had a great effect in stirring 
u}) the energy and the interest of the Hereford 
breeders. The Monaughty herd liad been a favor- 

*"Joe" Green, as he was commonl\- called, was a fine old spoi'ts- 
nian, and had a somewhat novel method of selling- his youn^ 
bulls. For years he offered them at about 12 months old at a 
uniform price of 30 guineas. As there were usually about 20 of 
them, his first customers had a wide range of selection. This 
practice, by the way, had a counterpart in the west years ago 
in the famous old-time Shorthorn herd of the late Hon. .Tohn 
Wentworth of Chicago, who had a fixed price of $100 per head 
upon his bull calves no matter what theii' breeding, color or in- 
dividual character. 




G. H. Green ^=^ 



90 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ite one for many years for leading breeders to come 
to when they wanted a first-class sire, and the grand 
■ lots of steers sent each October from Radnorshire 
to top the Hereford great October fair were almost 
all from the Monaughty sires, distinguished always 
for their scale and quality. The catalogue announc- 
ing this sale set forth that ''every animal offered 
for sale is red with white face and mane." 

Speaking of Sir David's incestuous breeding, 
William Tudge, late of Leinthall, says : 

"My exj^erience, and I have known many in^ 
stances, is that they (the in-bred animals) are ex- 
ceptionally strong in their constitutions, or more 
delicate than their fellows. Both these cases I have 
seen repeatedly, and if strong, as Sir David was, 
when mated with cows of quite another strain the 
produce has been much stronger than with other 
sires. This is well borne out by Sir David's stock, 
particularly so in the two cows he served in 'The 
Grove' herd, his two sons there. Sir Benjamin 
(1387) and The Grove (1764), being exceptionally 
good sires and the one. Sir Benjamin, a marvelously 
good animal. In the case of The Grove the bull met 
with an accident when young, and was to a certain 
extent crippled so that he had not the same oppor- 
tunity as Sir Benjamin of showing what he could 
have done. 

"I have heard my father say, and he was con- 
sidered a very good judge, that when he saw Sir Da- 
vid at Ludlow he was lying down and he looked to 
him like a mountain of flesh. He always said he 
was the biggest bull he ever saw of any breed." 

The English sale and showyard records for long 
years subsequent to the use of Sir David bear in- 




rpivTRATT rr , ■ fopyrtght photo by Bustln 

LEI NTHALL— Home of tin- |jt. w ji,. Tu.ige Jr. 




»r .««^ _ Copyright photo by Bustln 

BLAOK HALL, KINGS PYON. 



92 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

contestable evidence of his supremacy as the most 
prepotent and the most valuable sire of his period, 
his greatest single legacy to the breed doubtless be- 
ing the remarkable bull Sir Benjamin, of which 
more anon. 

Tudge of Adforton. — Imperishable renown at- 
.taches to the name of William Tudge of Adforton, 
in the west of Herefordshire, as the breeder of the 
far-famed bull Lord Wilton (4740), whose sons, 
grandsons, daughters and granddaughters by the 
score have graced so many great herds on both sides 
the sea. Mr. Tudge was born in 1805 and com- 
menced his herd on a farm near Knighton in 1882 by 
buying heifers from Mr. Weyman of Stocktonbury, 
another one of the many old-time cattle growers who 
sought to impress the excellence of his stock upon 
the public by challenging "all England," offering to 
show his bull Stockton (237) for £500, and again to 
show a bull with twenty cows. "But," says Mr. Wil- 
liam Tudge, the younger (late of Leinthall), whom 
the author had the pleasure of visiting some years 
ago, "no one accepted the challenge." As a matter 
of fact these propositions were not often taken 
seriously. Still they argued at least the confidence 
of the owner in the superiority of his own stock. Mr. 
Tudge was fortunate in one of his first stock bulls 
Turpin (300), l)red by J. Morris but bought at 100 
guineas from Eyton, founder of the herd book. The 
Turpin heifers were said to have been "very thick 
and deep, with capital broad backs and very curly 
glossy coats of a dark rich color." These are said 



94 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

to have formed the real basis of the herd. Later 
another good getter was found in Nelson (1021) bred 
by Thomas Longmore, the breeder of Lord Ber- 
wick's celebrated bull Walford. Another success- 
ful sire was The Doctor (1083) from the splendid 
neighboring herd of James Rea. His heifers ''made 
grand cows," but with the exception of one rare 
show bull, Carbonel, the male progeny were not so 
good. Carbonel was a showyard rival of the great 
Sir Benjamin (1387).* The Grove (1764), a son of 
Sir David, was also on hire for one season from his 
breeder, B. Rogers, and left some choice bulls in- 
cluding Adforton (1839), sold to Mr. Edwards of 
Wintercott, a Royal winner in a great class at Wor- 
cester. 

The farm of Adforton was taken in 1861 on the 
death of Mrs. Tudge's brother, Mr. Longmore, and 
it was here that the herd acquired its greatest fame. 
Another of The Grove bulls, Pilot (2156), developed 
into a sire of prize-takers, such as the noted cow 
Lady Adfortonf and the Royal prize bull Stanway 

♦Carbonel, like Sir Benjamin (1387), was passed over at Canter- 
bury, but at Hereford three months later they were first and sec- 
ond, and in two first-class bulls a greater contrast was rarely 
seen — Sir Benjamin with his wonderful scale, depth and weight 
of natural Hesh, but not equal to his rival over the blades and 
chine, and general neatness, for Carbonel was a perfect model of 
a bull, so far as he went, but lacked the size of Sir Benjamin. 
The remark was often heard at the time, "What a splendid ani- 
mal could be made out of the two," an observation which was 
well verified in Lord Wilton (4740), for he possessed their blood 
twice over combined. 

tA wonderfully good cow was this Lady Adforton. She stood 
second to the extraordinary Queen of the Lilies at two Royal 
shows, and was by Pilot (2156), a son of The Grove (1764), Sir 
David's son, very big in her forehand and with an exceptionally 
prominent brisket. And thereby hangs a tale. The morning aft- 
er the return from the Royal, the show cattle were turned out 
into a meadow just below the house at Adforton. During the 
breakfast hour there was an alarming scare. A small farmer 



SOME ENGLISU HREKD-BUILDERS 95 

(2790). A (la 11 .filter of tlio latter, Silver Star, swept 
all Eiii^laiul for a tiiiio, and was sold for export to 
Australia. 

Tlio Adforton show string- had wonderful success 
in ISGy, and in 1874 the great pair of bull calves 
Regulator and Lord Wilton were sent into the lists. 
These two prodigies were got by Sir Roger (4133), 
son of Sir Thomas (2228), bred by B. Rogers. Regu- 
lator beat his stable companion at the Bath and West 
and also at the Royal, but nearer home, at Leomin- 
ster and Ludlow, Lord Wilton was preferred.* 

Regulator was sold to go to New Zealand, and Lord 
Wilton lived to almost revolutionize the Hereford 
type in point of head and horn refinement. 

This herd was sold in September, 1877, and lead- 
ing breeders gladly availed themselves of the oppor- 
tunity to possess themselves of the blood that had 
produced so many of the finest Herefords the world 
had yet seen. Still prices were not yet on a high 



about 60 years of age came running up all out of breath telllnf? 
Mr. Tudse, who responded to his call, "one of your best cows is 
swelled in front somethinf? enormous, and will be dead directly 
unless something can be done to save her." All hands ran out 
into the meadow ^v■hen it developed that it was only Lady Ad- 
forton's big: brisket that had started the trouble. Needless to 
say, Bridvrewater. the small farmer, never forgot nor heard the 
last of that episode. Lady Adforton was the grandam of Lord 
Wilton. 

•Speaking of Lord W'ilton and Regulator, Mr. William Tudge, 
Jr., says: "After Regulator's departure to New Zealand, Lord 
Wilton had nothing else to fear, and took first at the Bath and 
West at Croydon, the R. A. S. E. at Taunton, and the H. A. S. at 
Hereford in 1S75, and then went to Mr. Lewis Lloyd's at Monks 
Orchard, having been sold by telegram at the Crovdon meeting. 
It is a singular thing that the only times Lord Wilton was ever 
beaten in his class (when fit to show) was by Regulator and Reg- 
ulus. both nearly related to himself, being by Sir Roger and of 
the favorite Beauty blood, as was also Marmion (324:;), the sire of 
his dam. Lady Claire." 

Regulator's dam, Belladonna, produced twins in January, 1883, 
a heifer in January, 1884, and in 1885, at the age of 15 years, twin 
heifers. 



96 A HIRTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

j)lane and values were moderate. T]ie Royal show 
cow Rosebud, l)y Sir Thomas, made 155 guineas to 
Mr. Arkwrigbt of Hampton Court, who called her 
"perfection." Lord Coventry bought for 140 
guineas the famous cow Giantess, which afterwards 
carried Royal honors and gave birth to the noted 
twins, Good Boy and Golden Treasure. Giantess 
was at one time called the best cow of any breed in 
England. The best bulls made up to 175 guineas, 
but the 109 head of all ages averaged only £37. 

Benjamin Rogers. — Wales did a lot for Here- 
fordshire. About the year 1833 one Benjamin Rog- 
ers began breeding the Plerefords on the farm of 
Doluggan in Radnorshire, adjoining Monaughty, 
the home of the elder Rea, subsequently removing 
to The Grove, Pembridge, which he made for- 
ever famous in the annals of the breed. He recog- 
nized first of all the rare merit of the blood of Hew- 
er's old Sovereign, his first stock bull being Sov- 
ereign 2d (1739). He was followed by Charity 
(375) of Jeffries breeding, got by Byron (440), 
dam by Sovereign (404). Then followed a succes- 
sion of sires of Hewer, Jeffries, Tully, Yeld and 
other noted strains until in 1855 he sent his Pretty- 
maid 2d to Mr. Turner's at The Noke to be bred to 
Sir David (349), the progeny being the celebrated 
Sir Benjamin (1387) ; but unfortunately for his 
V)reeder this great bull was sold at an early age to 
Mr. Rea as already detailed. He had sired Boling- 
broke (1883), however, before going to Westonbury, 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS 97 

a bull picked up by Mr. Turner of The Leen, tbat 
gave good promise of wbat was to follow. Mr. 
Rogers made haste to recover the blood, first by- 
buying from Mr. Rea his famous show bull Sir 
Richard (1724), Royal winner at Leeds in 1861, a 
son of Sir Benjamin, and afterward acquiring Sir 
Thomas (2228), by Sir Benjamin, at the then long 
price of £409/10s. This bull was bought at the 
dispersion sale of Mr. Monkhouse of The Stow 
in 1866. He had been shown with his get with 
great success, was at that time six years old 
and proved a cheaj) l)ull at the price, leaving at The 
Grove "a collection of magnificent stock." 

Sir Thomas Described. — Sir Thomas was un- 
doubtedly the best of all Sir Benjamin's sons, and 
was described by that gifted writer on British cat- 
tle breeding, the late "William ITousman, as follows: 

"Sir Thomas has a noble liroad true bull's head, 
with the sort of horns, well set and strong, which 
usually accompany a robust constitution. Ilis length 
is very great, although said to be not equal to that 
of his sire Sir Benjamin. Judging from the portrait 
of the latter (one in Mr. Rogers' possession by Mr. 
Quintin of Hereford), we should say that if the sire 
sur])assod the son in length, he gaiiu^d it between the 
arm and the breast-end, for Sir P)enjamin seems to 
have been enormous there, and we can scarcely 
imagine a longer middle than that of Sir Thomas 
without the accompaniment of a slack back, which 
Sir Thomas' strong loin provides against in his 
case. His hindquarters are wonderful for deep and 
level accumulation of flesh. Of a placid, gentle dis- 
position, he has just enough of the pride of bull- 



98 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

hood in him to make him arch his grand neck, slight- 
ly bend his head, look askance, and snort once or 
twice as a stranger approaches him. This sets off 
his form splendidly. ' ' 

Mr. Rogers evidently had a genius for cattle 
breeding. He now sent one of his best Sir Thomas 
cows, Blossom, to be bulled by Horace (3877) — re- 
sult. The Grove 3d. Hereford history contains the 
names of few greater breeding bulls than "Old 
Grove," as he was familiarly known in his declin- 
ing years. After fairly flooding the great show 
yards of England with his mellow, rich-fleshed prog- 
eny, he was bought by Mr. Culbertson for importa- 
tion to America, as will be detailed further on. His 
bulls out of Spartan dams were a wonderful lot. 

Assurance, bred by T. J. Carwardine of Stockton- 
bury, was another good breeding bull bought and 
used at The Grove. He was the sire among other 
capital animals of that sturdy old bull Tregrehan 
(6332), that also came to America and in the hands 
of the late William S. Vannatta acquired great repu- 
tation. 

Mr. Rogers was not afraid to "double up" a good 
thing, and in Charity 4th (7480), by The Grove 3d 
out of Daisy by Sir Thomas, he concentrated still 
further some of his favorite blood. He was unques- 
tionably one of the ablest cattle breeders of his time, 
and the breed on both sides of the Atlantic was the 
richer as a result of his long and successful labors. 

The Prices of Court House. — So far as we know, 
Edward and his son John Price, of Court House, 



100 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

Pembridge, were not related to John of Eyall, the 
great disciple of Ben Tomkins. 

Edward Price's herd was anchored largely in 
Hewer, Yarmouth and Jeffries blood. He had the 
good judgment to acquire Sir David (349), and the 
famous bull, as already mentioned, made a grand 
impress. Another Eoyal prize bull used was Con- 
ingsby (718), and his get were also good. Then 
came Sir David's son Pembridge (721), that was 
first at the Royal in 1852. Magnet (823) of Mr. 
Yeld's breeding was also used and shown with suc- 
cess. In fact, Edward Price was a constant exhibi- 
tor at the national shows for some years, and car- 
ried back to Court House trophies galore in testi- 
mony of the excellence of his cattle. 

John Price earned his title to fame as the discov- 
erer and rescuer from the butcher of the bull Horace 
(3877), one of the latter-day breed-makers. Mr. 
Price had gone out to Australia for a time, but re- 
turning to the old home on the banks of the Arrow, 
he picked up as much of the old Court House blood 
as could be secured and began breeding. We quote 
from Macdonald and Sinclair as to his reason for 
selecting Horace as a sire : 

''He considered that breeders at home, while they 
had unquestionably improved the form and style of 
the Heref ords, had done so somewhat at the expense 
of the thick mellow skin and beautiful hair which he 
had been taught to regard as essential features of 
the breed. The animal in which he believed he per- 
ceived the means of strengthening these important 
points was Horace (3877), calved in 1867, bred by 



102 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mr. J. Davies, Preston Court. Mr. Price had studied 
tlie breeding of this bull, and had marked his char- 
acter. He found that through Shamrock 2d (2210), 
of his father's breeding, Horace inherited a large 
share of the best Court House blood. Shamrock 2d's 
sire being by Goldfinder 2d, his dam by Magnet 2d 
(989), a son of Magnet (823), and his grandam by 
Pembridge (721), a son of Sir David (349), a rare 
combination of prize strains. Shamrock 2d was the 
sire of Horace's sire and dam. It was on this bull 
that Mr. Price staked his fortunes, and if his father 
had been successful in his choice of Sir David, cer- 
tainly the present proprietor of the herd can con- 
gratulate himself that he was equally fortunate 
when he saved Horace from the butcher's block. The 
characteristics on account of which he was selected 
by Mr. Price have become strongly impressed upon 
his offspring, and his rare wealth of flesh and mag- 
nificent quality are carried through successive gen- 
erations." 

Horace was sold in his ninth year for £500 to Mr. 
Frederick Piatt of Barnby Manor, in whose posses- 
sion he died. In point of prepotency it is doubtful if 
there is record of a more impressive sire, his individ- 
uality being transmitted with extraordinary cer- 
tainty. He truly lived again in his greatest son The 
Grove 3d, already mentioned and to be referred to 
further in these pages, for if the published portraits 
of the sire are at all accurate the son was a true chip 
off the old block. The fame of Horace was still 
further enhanced by such other sons as Horatius 
(5390), Horace 2d (4655) and Horace 4th (6490). 
Speaking of the latter, a critic who saw him as a 



104 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

three-year-old the year he won first at the Royal 
at Reading for Mr. Piatt in 1882 said : 

"Horace 4th, by Horace (3877), a sire remarkable 
for an extraordinary faculty or unvarying ability to 
impress upon his offspring his own characteristics, 
and to impart to his immediate progeny the power 
to further reproduce them, probably owed to the 
male parent the particular merits which brought him 
into the first place of honor at Reading. However 
good, however distinct in excellence the dam might 
be, the stock of Horace (so far as the contributor of 
these notes has been able to observe and to learn) 
always bore the mark and developed the special style 
of that sire." 

At the Smithfield show of 1883 a three-year-old 
son of Horace, flying the colors of Her Majesty the 
Queen, captured the championship. This steer the 
Queen had acquired of Mr. Piatt for the sum of £100 
and for the express purpose of winning the coveted 
purple. 

Mr. Price meantime bought from Stephen Robin- 
son of Lynhales* the Tudge-bred Regulus (4076), 
half-brother to Lord Wilton and a bull of outstand- 
ing merit. He traced straight back by way of Sir 
Thomas and Sir Benjamin to Sir David. His get 
were usually distinguished for "grandly-sprung ribs 
and thick loins." Regulus nicked well with the 
Horace blood at Court House, one of the fruits of 
that union being the handsome Hotspur (7028), the 



•One of Robinson's cows bred to old Horace produced Horatius 
(5390), a bull that left good stock. Mr. Robinson used a lot of 
valuable sires, including- Sir Thomas (2129), Luxury (3233), Regu- 
lus (4076), Horatius, Highland Laird (7015), Rose Stock (6651), etc. 
Much good stock of Lynhales origin came to the United States. 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS 105 

Royal winner of 1885 at Preston. Hotspur's dam 
was l)y Horace 2(1, and his own brother Hero (59G4) 
was imported to America for the account of Mr. 
"William Constable of Beecher, 111. He won great 
renown in the west as a show bull, gaining high 
honors on several occasions in competition with 
bulls of all breeds. Hotspur with his two famous 
daughters, Venus and Dowager, won a prize at the 
Bath and West of England Show as a family group 
against 20 competing entries of different breeds. The 
Wilton blood was still further introduced at Court 
House through the use of Monarch (7858), also a 
Royal winner, one of the best sons of the old bull. 
Monarch was the result of Mr. Carwardine's mating 
the cow Bella with Lord Wilton. At ten months he 
was sold to Mr. Price at what was reputed to ])e the 
highest sum ever paid for a Hereford of that age, 
and eight months later Mr. Price refused £1,000 for 
him from exporters. 

John Price was not only a great breeder but a 
successful feeder of Christmas bullocks as well. He 
was twice winner of the Elkington Challenge Cup 
at Birniingham Fat Stock Show, and at the time of 
the author's visit to Court House in the summer of 
1900, the old veteran had a string of good thick 
steers in training for exhibition purposes. 

Mr. John Hill's Comment on Horace. — It is diffi- 
cult to exaggerate tlie value of the impress made 
upon the English Herefords by Horace and his most 
famous son, and we feel warranted therefore in pre- 
senting the following commentary upon the old bull, 



106 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

prepared at the author's request by the veteran 
English breeder, Mr. John Hill, whose fund of 
knowledge concerning the cattle of their day is un- 
excelled : 

''Horace was calved May 1, 1867; sire Frugal- 
ity (1997), dam Lady by Shamrock 2d (2210); 
grandam Young Lady by Cholstrey (1918) ; great- 
grandam Lady by Young Quicksilver. Shamrock 2d 
was purchased as a yearling by Henry Gibbons of 
Hampton Bishop as a bull possessing all the points 
he wanted in a sire for his own herd. He was bred 
by E. Price of The Court House (the father of John 
Price, so closely associated with Horace blood in 
later years), and had two such noted bulls in his 
pedigree as Pembridge (721) and his sire Sir David 
(349), both Royal winners, the latter being one of 
the greatest of all Hereford sires. It is said, and 
I believe on the best authority and by one who knew 
Shamrock 2d well, that he was not by any means a 
typical sire in appearance and 'was unquestionably 
an in-and-in bred bull in general appearance,' but 
that he had an 'excellent underline and was good 
through the heart, full and deep in both fore and 
hind flank,' and that 'no bull perhaps had neater or 
truer hindquarters. His coat was very dark, but 
soft as silk and an abundance of it.' 

"There was a strong infusion of Pembridge blood 
in Shamrock 2d, which appears to have had great in- 
fluence on his grandson Horace and passed on so 
successfully to his produce. Pembridge 'had droop- 
ing horns, slightly tipped with black, and very prom- 
inent eyes.' I mention these particulars because it 
is interesting to follow the character of this bull's 
descendants which inherited all the concentrated 
prepotent force of this well bred sire, and by which 



SOME ENGLISH HKEED-BUILDERS 107 

tlie Horace strain of blood lias been so largely rec- 
ognized. Before leaving the pedigree of Lady, the 
dam of Horace, it is worth reporting that through 
such bulls as Sir Andrew and The Knight, both of 
which were well known prize-winners in their day, 
the pedigree of this cow can be traced back to Wel- 
lington (4), whose picture is given in Yo\. 1 of the 
herd book, was bred by Benjamin Tomkins in 1808 
and 'considered bv him the best stock-getter he ever 
bred, his Silver Bull (41) excepted.' 

"The same authority from which I have above 
quoted describes Frugality as a 'bull of fair size, 
short on the leg, thick and square in Iniild.' His name 
was given him by his breeder, ]\Ir. rJil)l)ons, 'because 
of the calf having remarkable thickness of flesh and 
being such a rare thrifty fellow to keep himself.' It 
will I)e noticed tliat tlie sire and dam of Horace were 
by the same sire. Shamrock iM, and therefore lialf- 
brotlier and sister, so that the concentrated blood in 
that bull was all the more powerful in Frugality, 
and was undoubtedly passed on to Horace and his 
descendants, 

"John Price of The Court House saw in Horace 
the making of a great sire, and in his hands, al- 
though not a show bull himself, Horace made his 
reputation by his stock carrying all before them both 
at the fat stock and breeding shows. In 187() Mr. 
Price's exhil)ition of young animals by him was so 
remarkable that Mr. Piatt of Barnbv ]\ranor gave 
£5(10 for him. At the Bath and West of England show 
in tliat year no less than ten of his sons and daugh- 
ters won prizes and honorable mention. The old 
bull continued his successful career as a sire until 
he was fifteen years old, and at that advanced age 
the butcher who slaughtered him remarked that he 
'did not want to kill anv better.' " 



108 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Monkhouse of The Stow. — No reference to those 
rare old worthies, who, by their keen delight in the 
improvement of their live stock did so much to pro- 
mote the improvement of the local breed, would be 
complete without special mention of Monkhouse of 
The Stow. Originally from Cumberland, he early 
displayed a fondness for Leicester sheep and good 
cattle, and in the face of a great physical affliction 
arose to prominence as one of the best breeders of 
his day in England. He made the acquaintance of 
John Price of Ryall, who doubtless influenced him 
in his original purchases, but unfortunately while 
yet in his prime he became totally blind. However, 
he did not permit this affliction to overcome his 
interest in stock-breeding. On the contrary, he went 
steadily ahead with the Herefords. He is supposed 
to have commenced about 1840. In later years he 
came to rely largely upon his neighbor, Mr. Rea 
of Monaughty, from whom he purchased several 
bulls in succession, including the afterwards famous 
Sir Thomas (2228). This bull was still in service in 
the herd at the time of the death of Mr. Monkhouse 
in 1866, when the cattle were dispersed. While Mr. 
Monkhouse could not use his eyes he evidently used 
his hands to good etfect, for it is recorded that his 
cows were ''exquisite in their touch, but wanted 
scale." As Sir Thomas was very large, the motive 
of the blind veteran in introducing that bull into 
the herd was undoubtedly to increase the weight of 
his cattle. Sir Thomas was purchased at this sale 
by Ben Rogers at around $2,000. Speaking of the 




Copyright photo by Bustin 



J. MONKHOOSE, THE BLIND BRBEDEB OF "THE STOW." 



110 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

work of Mr. Monklioiise, tlie auctioneers in announc- 
ing the dispersion sale paid him this tribute : 

''His fame was not local, hut national, finding its 
way into every corner of the British Isles, where 
intellect and knowledge have been directed to the 
great interest of agriculture, and recording itself 
by numerous brilliant successes on the pages of the 
proceedings of the Royal Agricultural Society, as 
well as those of the chief provincial cattle shows in 
Herefordshire and adjoining counties." 

Lord Berwick. — The Cronkhill cattle have numer- 
ous descendants in the American Herd Book. His 
Lordship first took up breeding in 1844 with Knight 
greys procured from Salwey, but the trend towards 
the white face was setting in so heavily that he 
turned to Jeffries and Hewer blood. He had from 
John Hewer the bull "Wonder (420), that sired one 
of the showyard cracks of his day, Albert Edward 
(859). A little later he secured the famous Wal- 
ford (871), that became the gold medal bull of the 
Paris International Show of 1855 over all breeds, 
beside being a great winner in Great Britain and 
celebrated widely as a sire of prize-winners. 

The Herefords were fortunate then as now in the 
liberty allowed their breeders in the selection of 
sires. Merit was first and pedigree secondary. The 
great Walford was succeeded at Cronkhill by the 
even more renowned Sir David (349), as already 
noted. 

The Cronkhill herd was dispersed in 1861. Its 
value to the breed is everj^where conceded, and its 



112 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

excellence was attested by a list of 27 Royal prizes 
won with 33 entries. 

In * * Saddle and Sirioin, ' ' Mr. H. H. Dixon writes : 
"We could not pass Shrewsbury without seeing 
Lord Berwick's Hereford herd. At any other tima 
we should have delighted to linger in those rich pas- 
tures to which Walford, Attingham, Albert Edward, 
and Severn had lent so much renown, but the shadow 
of death was on the house, and the agonies of an 
illness such as few have borne were about to re- 
ceive their grand relief at last. * * * Farming 
was not his only delight when in health. He loved 
to rear the choicest fowls and drive the best Ameri- 
can trotters, and he made a rifle at his forge which 
one of our first makers, in ignorance as to its origin, 
pronounced to be nearly faultless. He had suc- 
ceeded to an incumbered estate, and knowing how 
to 'scorn delight, and live laborious days,' he had 
the courage to be content with his little home at 
Cronkhill instead of his stately hall at Attingham, 
and accomplish the purpose of his life, to leave a 
clear inheritance for those who were to come after." 

Taylor of Showle Court. — William Taylor was for 
many years '*in the money" at the national shows. 
He bred the bull Longhorns (4711), that scored such 
great success as a sire in the herd of Mr. Carwar- 
dine. The celebrated Anxiety (5188), that probably 
made a greater impression upon the breed in Amer- 
ica than any other one animal ever imported, was by 
Longhorns, and the cows left to his cover at Stock- 
tonbury proved remarkable mothers. Another great 
bull bred by Mr. Taylor was Tredegar (5077), that 
won £379 in prizes, including a championship over 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS 113 

all breeds at the Bath and West of England Show 
of 1875. He was called one of the best bulls the 
breed had produced, and sold privately at a reported 
price of 300 guineas. Both Tredegar and Long- 
horns were got by Mercury (3692), and still a third 
bull of note, Thoughtful (5063), svas by the same 
sire. The Tredegar cow Lancashire Lass won 
premier honors at the Kilburn International Show 
of 1879 and at Smithfield the same year. 

A large portion of the herd at Sliowle was de- 
scended from two cows bought at the Hazel sale near 
Ledbury about 1822. Cows were also bought from 
Jeffries, Carpenter of Eardisland (near Pembridge), 
and other herds of good r('i)ute. AVithin a period of 
eight years, when training for show was being regu- 
larly followed up by Mr. Taylor, his fine cattle gained 
no less tluui 150 prizes, and specimens of his breed- 
ing have l)een imported freely into North and South 
America as well as into Australia. 

Wintercott. — Thomas Edwards of Wintercott in- 
herited his father's herd in 1840 when he was but 
17 years of age, and although he died at 47 all 
Britain resounded at one time with the fame of his 
marvelously perfect show cow Leonora, thrice first 
at the Royal Shows in 1870, 1874 and 1875 at Hull, 
Bedford and Taunton. She was champion at the Kil- 
burn International at London and champion at 
Smithfield and Birmingham Fat Stock Shows — 
drawing in all, £650 into the Wintercott coffers. 

With the production of this great cow the breed 




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116 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

may indeed be said to have burst into full flower. 
The cumulative result of a century of devotion to 
the evolution of a heavy flesh-carrying type was in 
her exemplified in startling fashion. The advocates 
of other breeds confessed now that the Hereford had 
indeed ''arrived," and America, the Shorthorn 
stronghold, was beginning to take notice. 

Among the first good stock-getters used at Winter- 
cott were Croft (937), Tudge's Adforton (1839), a 
Eoyal winner, and Monkhouse's Tom Boy (354), by 
Sir Thomas. Upon the death of Mr. Edwards the 
herd was carried on by Mrs. Edwards, assisted by 
Mr. Edwards' nephew, Mr. Allen Edwards Hughes, 
who in 1881 came into full possession of the cattle. 
Under his management the renowned Grove 3d bull 
Rudolph was acquired from Mr. Turner. He was 
one of the celebrities of his day, and along with his 
noted sons Sergeant Major (9199) and Washington, 
bred by Mr. Hughes, was sold for shipment to Amer- 
ica. His career in the west will be referred to later 
on. One of the most noted breeding cows of her day 
was Plum 3d by Commander (4452), of the Winter- 
cott herd. She produced in succession the bulls 
President (6111), imported by Hon. M. H. Cochrane, 
Iroquois by Lord Wilton, sold to Mr. Arkwright, and 
Washington by Rudolph. 

Roberts of Ivingtonbury. — Mr. Roberts attained 
place in the Hereford gallery of fame largely 
through the production of the bull Sir Thomas 
(2228), heretofore mentioned as one of the premier 
breeding bulls of the period first preceding the ad- 



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118 A HISTORY OP HEREP^ORD CATTLE 

vent of American buyers. His foundation stock was 
mainly of the Tomkins, Yarmouth, Weyman, 
Vaughan and Galliers blood. He was regarded as 
a breeder of exceptional judgment, and when the 
herd was closed out in 1865 a large number of good 
Sir Thomas cows and heifers were scattered among 
the best herds of Herefordshire, proving in most 
cases valuable acquisitions. Sir Thomas was the 
result of sending the cow Lady iVnn to Tom Eea's 
at Westonbury to be bred to Sir Benjamin. In Oc- 
tober, 1864, he was sold at auction at Hereford to 
Mr. Monkhouse for 105 guineas. 

Mr. Roberts was succeeded in the occupancy of 
the farm of Ivingtonbury by Mr. Samuel Goode, who 
purchased thirteen females of the Eoberts' blood. 
He bred Herefords with success for some twenty 
years, concentrating the Sir Thomas blood by the 
use of the bulls Cremorne (5279) and Sir Henry 
(5597). 

Carwardine. — It was at Stocktonbury, the farm 
of T. J. Carwardine, that Lord Wilton made his 
mark, and it was upon this same farm that another 
bull, destined to exert a powerful influen(a in Amer- 
ica, was dropped. We refer to Anxiety (5188), of 
which bull and his descendants there is much to be 
said further on. 

The herd upon which Lord Wilton left such an in- 
delible impress was founded in 1863 by the purchase 
of some daughters of Sir Thomas from Mr. Monk- 
house. The following year some cows and heifers 
were added from the stock of Mr. Ashwood of Leint- 




Stephen Robinson 



Aaron Rogers 



120 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

wardine, and in 1865 females were bought from Mr. 
Connop of Eardisland. Others were obtained from 
Messrs. Middleton of Shobden and Eawlings of Ten- 
bury. 

Among the earliest sires used at Stocktonbury 
were Counsellor (1939) from Philip Turner; Heart, 
of Oak, from Rea of Monaughty; De Cote (2035), 
from Edward of Wintercott; Sir Frank (2762), by 
Sir Richard, from Thomas Rea of Westonbury, and 
Longhorns (4711) from Taylor of Showle Court. 

Anxiety (5188). — The cow Regina by Heart of 
Oak, bred to De Cote, produced a bull Rodney (4907) 
and a heifer Helena. The former was retained for 
use in the herd. The sister not only developed into 
a show cow but to the cover of Longhorns gave 
birth to Anxiety, that was used some in the herd be- 
fore his sale for export to the United States, siring, 
before his purchase by Mr, Culbertson, the bulls 
Anxiety 3d (4466) and Anxiety 4th (9904), afterward 
so celebrated respectively in the American herds of 
Thomas Clark and Gudgell & Simpson. The far- 
reaching and beneficial effect of the use of the 
Anxiety bulls in the United States is possibly the 
most striking phase of Hereford cattle breeding as 
conducted in the middle west. They supplied the 
showyard with champion cattle by the score, and 
were a prime factor in the general refinement of the 
breed type in America, and particularly in the im- 
provement of the hindquarter worked out at a sub- 
sequent period in the west. 




Copyright photo by Bustln 

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Copyright photo by Bustln 
ANXIETY (5188)— From an English sketch. 



122 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

This influence of Anxiety (5188) upon the breed 
in the New World renders the following statement 
as to the bull's ancestry and individual character- 
istics (in his earlier years), supplied at the author's 
request by the veteran English breeder, Mr. John 
Hill, formerly of Felhampton Court, of interest: 

''Anxiety was well named — the owner of his cele- 
brated dam, Helena, the late Mr. Carwardine, of 
Stocktonbury, had every reason to be full of anxiety 
before the birth of the calf which was to make his- 
tory. Helena was a grand show heifer herself, and 
from Avhat I can remember of her, excessively fat. 
Being in this unfavorable state for breeding it was 
very naturally an anxious time for Mr. Carwardine 
that all should go well with so valuable an animal. 
Herefords, I believe, will breed and produce their 
calves safely better than the generality of other 
breeds of cattle, and this was no exception to the 
rule. 

' ' Helena calved all right, and the bull calf she pro- 
duced was named Anxiety. She had a successful 
showyard career, and Anxiety as a calf at foot went 
the round of the shows with his dam. There is a 
portrait of Helena in Vol. 10 of the English Herd 
Book, and also of Anxiety as a yearling, which gives 
a very fair idea of their appearance at that time. 
Anxiety was to the best of my recollection a par- 
ticularly level, good-fleshed, compact bull, with won- 
derful hindquarters, but somewhat weak in his neck 
and effeminate in his head and horns. His eye was 
bold and prominent. It did not strike me at the time 
that he was at all likely to be an impressive sire, 
and he was not the type of bull which we liked in 
England, because of his rather effeminate appear- 
ance, but he is just the sort of animal which finds fa- 



SOME ENGLISH UKEED-liUlLDEKS 123 

vor ill the American sliowyards of todaj'. Time slips 
quickly by, and one's memory is not so good as it 
was, perhaps, and looking* back for nearly thirty 
years one may have forgotten points of an individ- 
ual animal in which he had no special interest at 
the time. To make sure I wrote to Arthur Turner 
of The Leen, the well known Hereford breeder, and 
asked him for his recollections of the apix-arnnce of 
Anxiety. I will quote his words in couiirmation of 
my own : 

'* *If my memory serves me, lie was rather small, 
dariv in color, and without the while mane, remark- 
ably level in hindquarters, but rather light in neck 
and forequarters. He had a full eye, but rather 
weak horns. There was nothing grand or masculine 
about his a])j)earance. He was a sire of some first- 
rate stock in America, and I think he helped to estab- 
lish the tyi)e of Hereford the Americans have gone 
in for — what they term smooth cattle.' 

"Unfortunately, at that time ^Nfr. Carwardine did 
not trouble to record his herd fully in the Hereford 
Herd Book, and as a matter of fact Helena is the 
only entry of his females in Vol. 10. If, however, 
we examine the pedigree on the male side, we find 
she was by De Cote (3060), bred by T. Edwards, of 
Wintercott, whose celebrated show herd was con- 
tinued after his death by his widow, who exhil)ite<l 
two of the most remarkable show heifers of that day, 
Leonora and Beatrice. Perhaps Leonora has had 
few superiors in the showring. This herd was in- 
herited by its present owner, A. E. Hughes of "Win- 
tercott, whose name is second to none as an exhibi- 
tor of Hereford cattle. Anxietv's sire was Long- 
horns (4711). This bull was bred by the late Will- 
iam Taylor of Showle Court, the father of the pres- 
ent owner of that old-established herd, and was by 



124 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mercury (3967), bred by the late Philip Turner, of 
The Leen, father of Arthur Turner, the present 
owner of that rightly world-renowned herd. Mer- 
cury was the sire of Mr. Taylor's grand show bulls, 
Tredegar and Thoughtful. 

"I always think Tredegar was quite one of the 
very grandest types of Hereford bulls I ever saw. 
He was masculine in character, long, low, and deep, 
and equally good at all points. Mercury, too, on his 
dam's side came from that excellent family which 
was so highly thought of at the dispersion of Philip 
Turner's cattle, when The Grove 3d was sold. His 
dam was Rhodia by Subaltern (2794), which was 
also the dam of the Royal winner Gladys, which I 
purchased as a two-year-old at that sale for 100 
guineas for my own herd on the advice of Philip 
Turner. His advice was greatly valued on that oc- 
casion by the writer, who purchased considerably at 
that sale and was the last bidder for The Grove 3d 
himself before he was knocked down to his fortunate 
American purchaser. From this it will be seen that 
Anxiety owes much of his concentrated good blood 
to the three great herds of Philip Turner of The 
Leen, William Taylor of Showle Court, and T. Ed- 
wards of Wintercott." 

Lord Wilton (4740).— In the light of latter-day 
Hereford history Mr. Carwardine's purchase of 
Lord Wilton, to follow Rodney and Anxiety, must be 
pointed out as one of the rarest bits of good fortune 
of which the story of the breed has record. Mr.Tudge 
had sold the bull to Mr. Lewis Lloyd of Monk's 
Orchard, Surrey, who had successfully shown good 
bullocks got by him at the Smithfield Show. He was 
taken to the Kilburn Royal Show of 1879, but had 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS 125 

not been lield in tip-top form and received only a 
commendation at tlie hands of the judges. It was 
here that Mr. Carwardine secured him, giving a ]m\\ 
calf in excliange and receiving £5 besides. He was 
exhi])itod afterwards by his new owner at Lord 
Tredegar's sJiow at Newport in 1881, where he won 
first and championship against all breeds and ages 
and repeated at the same show the following year. 
So great has been the influence of Lord Wilton up- 
on the fortunes of the breed on l)oth sides the At- 
lantic tliat we feel warranted in reproducing the fol- 
lowing interesting commentary ))i-('])are(l for "The 
Breeder's Gazette" by Mr, Jolm Hill, and jHiljlished 
in the Holiday Issue of that journal for 1900. We 
quote : 

"The first of his produce wliich created some no- 
tice were at the Royal at Derl)y in 1881, wlion two 
bulls and two heifers were winners in their classes; 
these were Sir Bartle Frere and Romeo, Henrietta 
and Venus.* The remarkal)le uniformity of all his 
produce, especially witli regard to their heads and 
eyes and general character, drew much attention to 
his merits as a sire, and as his stock continued to be 
pushed forward at all the leading shows, Mr. Car- 

I wardine's herd and its constant successes became the 
chief subject of conversation in the Hereford world, 

i both at home and abroad. The purchase of such a 
bull at a time when he was almost unknown is one 
of those fortunate occurrences which is almost be- 
yond the power of any man to have foreseen. At 
the same time the greatest credit must be given to 



•This famous quartette was bought by Thos. Clark for Messrs. 
Earl & Stuart of Lafayette, Ind., and formed part of their im- 
portation of 18.82. 



126 A HISTORY Of HEREFORP CATTLE 

Mr. Carwardine in the selection, and there is no 
doubt he had carefully studied the breeding of Lord 
Wilton and decided that it should blend successfully 
with the material he had at Stocktonbury. 

'^ Although the final brilliant termination to his 
work was no doubt to be attrilnited to his purchase 
of Lord Wilton, still the bulls which had been pre- 
viously used must not be lost sight of. Longhorns 
(4711), from Mr. Taylor's herd at Showle Court, did 
excellent service, many of the cows by him making- 
long prices at the sale. De Cote, from the famous 
Wintercott herd, was of the greatest value in the 
herd. The grand cow Verbena by him was a capital 
l)reeder, many of her produce going to America ; her 
daughter Pauline went to Her Majesty the Queen's 
herd at Windsor and her grandson Chippendale to 
New Zealand. Delight by Sir Frank, dam by De Cote, 
was bought at the sale by Mr. George Leigh for ex- 
portation to America for 150 guineas, and her bull 
calf by Mr. Turner of The Leen for 185 guineas. De 
Cote was eventually sold for £64/10s./0d. to the 
butcher. 

''It will be seen, then, that Mr. Carwardine 's herd 
even before Lord Wilton was used was of the high- 
est merit, and contained the blood of the most noted 
herds of the past. Before leaving the subject I must 
not forget to mention the grand show heifer Helena 
by De Cote, perhaps one of the best animals ever 
bred at Stocktonbury. She won all along the line — 
first at the Royal as a calf in 1874 and first as a cow 
in 1877. Then last, but not least, I must mention 
the noted bull Anxiety (5188), a son of Helena, by 
Longhorns, first as a calf at the Eoyal in 1877 and 
first as a bull in 1879 at Kilburn — the great Roj^al 
Liternational Show — when he was sold to go to 
America and his place was taken by Lord Wilton. 



SOME ENGLISH riREED-BT'ILUERS 127 

Perhaps no two transactions in live stock history of 
more importance were ever accomplished on tlie 
same day by one man, and few that liad farther 
reachini^' influence on both sides tlie Atlantic. 

"1'he name of Lord Wilton was given by Carwar- 
dine to his lierd at Stocktonbnry before his death, 
and was on this account adopted by the auctioneers, 
Messrs. lOdwards and Weaver, in their descriptive 
announcement and sale catalo^nes on the occasion 
of the dis])ersion of this remarkable herd on Thurs- 
day and Friday, the 28th and 20tli days of August, 
1884. I say remarkable herd because not only had 
it met with unprecedented success in the showyards 
by winning 144 prizes, including 25 Royal and 11 
extra and champion i)rizes, during the ten years pre- 
ceding the sale, l)ut from having realiz(Hl such prices 
at the time of its dispersion that makes it stand out 
pre-eminently as one of the most sensational sales 
of live stock ever held. It may be perhaps conveni- 
ent to give a bi'ief account of the prices realized, and 
then endeavor to point out a few of the causes which 
led up to this result and the influence it has had on 
the breeding of Herefords during the years which 
followed. The first day's sale comjirised 49 cows 
with their ^9 calves and 8 tliree-year-old heifers witli 
their 7 calves. These were sold for £8,010/9s. Od. 
The second day's sale realized £l4,977/4s./0d. The 
averages by ages follow: 

f. s. d. 

53 cows with 53 calves 15^ 18 11 

14 cows in calf lOS. 10 6 

37 cows- 94 14 9 

54 calves G7 5 2 

18 two-year-old heifers 163 18 4 

20 yearling- heifers 117 7 1 

24 bulls 320 10 3 

''The average for 183 head of cattle was £125/9s./ 
lOd. The total amount of the sale was £22,987/13s./ 
Od. The highest priced female made 310 guineas, 



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130 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tlie highest priced calf 300 guineas. Lord Wilton 
made 3,800 guineas.* 

''There is no doubt that these high prices were 
the result of many circumstances, but the primary 
cause was unquestionably the fact of the marvelous 
impress which Lord Wilton had made upon the herd. 
First, then, let us look at causes which gave the 
power of this impress as derived from his breeding. 
This is his pedigree: Lord Wilton (4740), calved 
Aug. 30, 1873 ; bred by the late William Tudge of 
Adforton; sired by Sir Roger (4133), dam Lady 
Claire by Marmion (3242) ; second dam Lady Ad- 
forton by Pilot (2156) ; third dam Lady Ashford by 
Carbonel (1525) ; fourth dam Lady by Orleton (901) ; 
fifth dam Lady by Nelson (1021) ; sixth dam Lady 
by Turpin (300) ; seventh dam Lady by Tully Bull. 

"The late Mr. William Tudge is acknowledged to 
have been one of the most successful and careful 
breeders of his time, and to have taken especial care 
in keeping a correct record of his herd. His work 
is still carried on by his sons, whose herds stand in 
the first rank of the present day. In turning up an 
old catalogue I am reminded that I was present at 
the dispersion sale of the late Mr. Tudge at Adfor- 
ton on Thursday, Sept. 20, 1877, when on account of 
increasing years and ill health he gave up the farm. 
At the foot of the page containing the auctioneer's 
remarks in the catalogue there is a note stating that 
*Mr. Tudge 's herd has been awarded upward of two 
hundred prizes within the last few years. ' For over 
a half a century the late Mr. Tudge and the late Mr. 

*Lord Wilton was bid off at this extraordinary price by a 
Mr. VaUghan, said lo be representing an American buyer. He 
also bought quite a number of other cattle, but on failure to 
make good his bidding, the animals were retained at Stockton- 
bury and at a later date again exposed for sale, upon which 
occasion Lord Wilton was purchased for 1,000 guineas by Mr. 
Fenn of Stonebrook House and Wm. Tudge of Leinthall. The 
bull died in 1S86. 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS 131 

Rea of Monanglity vied witli each other in friendly 
rivalry in the showyard, about equally dividing the 
honors. The two herds were chiefly derived from 
the same spring, and much of the celebrated Rea 
blood was blended into the Stocktonbury herd we 
are now considering. Sir Roger, the sire of Lord 
Wilton, was largely used at Adforton, and his stock 
at the sale were of very great merit and realized 
high prices. Bannerette was purchased by that ex- 
cel h'lit judge and Hereford expert, Mr. Thos. Duck- 
Jiam, for eighty guineas. My note was: *A long 
good cow, grand outline as was ever put on four 
legs; first Ludlow and Hereford.' Minuet by Sir 
Roger also made 80 guineas, my note being: 'Beau- 
tiful cow, good and level all over, grand back and 
loin, capital thighs, good chine, good coat, and short 
legs. Received first Leominster and Hereford.' I 
must mention two more cows by Sir Roger, as I 
tliink it especially interesting to show that particu- 
lar merit was to be seen in the general produce of 
Lord Wilton's sire. Giantess, bought by the Earl of 
Coventry for 140 guineas, was winner at the Royal 
and other shows and when shown eventually in 1883 
at the Smithfield Fat Stock Show she weighed 20 
cwt., 3 qrs., 2 lbs. My note was : 'Best cow in Eng- 
land of any breed.' Tliis cow Giantess was in calf 
to Marechal Niel (4760) when Lord Coventry bought 
her, and the heifer calf she afterwards produced 
was the celebrated cow Golden Treasure, winner of 
so many Royal and other prizes, and which was first 
in the familj' class at the Royal meeting at York. 
Giantess herself took first prize in her class at the 
same show, and first as mentioned above at Smith- 
field, so my note was not perliaps very far wrong. 
Ladybird, by Sir Roger, I described as 'a grand 
cow, mossy coat, rare wide hips, good loins; goes 



132 A HISTORY OF lir':REFORD CATTLE 

back to Lady Adforton and Lady Asliford, Mr. 
Tudge's favorite strain.' She made 65 guineas and 
her bull calf 46 guineas. Here we have a cow di- 
rectly akin in l)lood to Lord Wilton, and evidence 
that Mr. Tudge considered it his favorite strain. If 
further proof of the value of the Sir Roger blood is 
needed it may ])e mentioned that Rosebud was sold 
to Mr. Arkwright of Ilamjjton Court at this sale for 
155 guineas; she was by Sir Thomas (2228) and he 
was the sire of Sir Roger. Going l)ack another gen- 
eration we find that Sir Thomas was by the great 
))ull Sir Benjamin (13(87). Sir Tliomas won first 
at the Royal, and other prizes, while Sir Benjamin 
had for his sire one of the grandest bulls in Here- 
ford history, the wonderful Sir David (349), calved 
in 1845, and first at the Newcastle and Norwich meet- 
ings of the Royal. Is it, with such an ancestry, to 
be wondered that Lord Wilton had the power of 
transmitting all the good points he himself pos- 
sessed and had inherited to his offspring! We have 
only considered the value of his pedigree on the side 
of his sire. If we turn to the female line we shall 
still find the excellent combination of the same blood. 
Lord Wilton's dam. Lady Claire, was by Pilot 
(2156), which was by The Grove (1764), a son of 
Sir David, the sire and grandsire of Sir Benjamin 
and Sir Thomas, the bulls which occur on the male 
side of the pedigree." 

Lord Wilton ended his clays at Mr. Fenn's, who, 
together with Mr. Tudge, was his last owner. Com- 
menting upon the close of the old bull's career John 
Hill said in ''The Breeder's Gazette" of Oct. 4, 
1905: 

"I saw Lord Wilton knocked down under the 
hammer at 3,800 guineas, and I was talking only 



SOME KNOr-IHII BREED-BUILnKUS ]33 

last week to an ex-iiiaster of the Lmllow t'oxliouiids 
who said tliat he had given 10 shillings for him. It 
was a sporting ending for this mighty bull that he 
should he made use df, after death, to feed a crack 
pack of hounds." 

The cow herd at Stocktonl)ury at the time of Lord 
AVilfon's ])nrclias(' liad heeoinc homogeneous in 
blood. Jjonghorns, De Cote, Ktxlne}' and Heart of 
Oak appeared among the top crosses in nearly every 
pedigree. A "nick" with one cow under such cir- 

I cumstances was ai)t to mean a successful cross with 
all. Lord AVilton had, therefore, a cai)ital founda- 
tion to work u])on. When his seal at length was 
firmly set the most famous Hereford herd of mod- 
ern times had been created. Like Horace and Tho 
Grove 3(1 he transmitted his individual peculiarities 
with extraordinary certainty, his s])ecial "trade- 
mark" being neat, drooping, incurving horns, and a 

I refinement which up to that time had not been char- 
acteristic of the tyi)ical Hereford. 

Mr. William Housman, who for so many years 
wrote so entertainingly on Shorthorn and Hereford 
cattle for "Bell's Messenger" of London once de- 
scribed Lord Wilton in the following language: 

"Lord Wilton does not fill the eye as an abso- 
lutely big bull, but he has ami)le proi)ortionato 
length, and like the Adforton bulls in general, a 
robust character, the bone not too heavy but made 
to bear a great weight of beef, and he furnishes 
heavily in the fore-flank and other flesh points. His 
head has plent}' of width across the upper part, not 



134 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

too much length in the lower part. The horns of 
fair medium size for a Hereford, and of inward and 
descending curve harmonize with the kindly, open 
countenance, and the hanging lap of surplus skin 
gives masculine depth from ear to throat." 

The Turners of The Leen. — There is a well 
kept farm not many miles from the quaint old town 
of Pembridge that has had much to do with Here- 
ford history. It is known as The Leen, the place 
where that remarkable sire of stock bulls, The Grove 
3d, scored his greatest success. 

Philip Turner began breeding Herefords in 1839. 
His father and grandfather before him had main- 
tained good herds, and with true British steadfast- 
ness of purpose Philip went on with the work start- 
ed by the grandfather at Aymestry Court as early 
as 1780, and he commenced with a dozen cows and 
heifers of his father's own production. He had 
bulls from Childs, Yeld, Eobinson, Eoberts and oth- 
ers of his contemporaries, but also made free use 
of certain ''toppers" dropped by his own cows. 
Among these were Provost (4067), Spartan (5009), 
Corsair (5271) and Pirate (6105). The ''hit" of 
his career, however, followed the purchase of The 
Grove 3d (5051) from his breeder, Ben Rogers of 
The Grove. 

The Grove 3d. — So intimately is the fame of Mr. 
Turner bound up in his great success with The 
Grove 3d, and so extensively was this blood intro- 
duced into America, that we feel warranted in in- 
troducing at this point a description of the old bull 



36 

Ert3 




A . M Turner 



136 A HISTORY OF IJEREFOKI) CATTLE 

by Mr. Hoiisniaii, and an aeeomit of The Leen sale 
written by John Hill : 

''The Grove 3d was calved Nov. 5, 1874. He 
was described by Mr. Housman as being 'neither a 
mean-looking bull, nor a bull of remarkably noble 
appearance, .... Init he has a well-propor- 
tioned frame. The bull is a true male. The rise of 
the chine-line over the shoulder tojo into the crest of 
the neck is particularly masculine, and the head, 
not coarse nor heavy, is still a bull's head. In his 
hind-quarters he has inherited from Sir Thomas the 
width innnediately behind the hips and to mid-quar- 
ter, l)ut does not end otf quite so squarely as Sir 
Thomas did. Few bulls do. This is generally a 
heifer's rather than a bull's characteristic, yet Sir 
Thomas, who certainly could not be charged with 
want of masculine character, was as an old l)ull 
proportionate!}^ as wide and full and square and 
level as a model fat heifer.' The Grove 3d had 'ex- 
traordinary mellowness of skin and flesh of the best 
kind and quality for a stock sire; the kind that in- 
creases fast; his very touch tells that under moder- 
ate pressure of keep he would soon be thick-fat.' 
This is from the pen of one of the finest judges and 
writers on this subject and no words of mine need 
be added to such a splendid description of this fa- 
mous animal, except to say how thoroughly true to 
life the picture has been drawn. 

''I will now give a short account of The Leen sale 
at which the famous bull was sold on the dispersion 
of Philip Turner's herd. Shortly before this sale 
the reputation of The Grove 3d had been increased 
by the important sale of one of his sons, Rudolph, 
which George Morgan, the well known leviathan ex- 
porter of the day, bought for the then large sum of 



138 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

700 guineas, the highest price which had been rea- 
lized for a Hereford bull np to that date. Seldom 
had greater interest been taken in a dispersion sale, 
and all Hereford men were anxious to get one or 
more of the grand old prizewinning strains of Mr. 
Turner's breeding, and especially the last cross of 
The Grove 3d, 'which had hit so wonderfully on the 
Spartan cows.' 

''About 1,200 people assembled round the ring- 
side when Thomas Rogers of the firm of Eogers & 
Hamar commenced to sell. Mr. Nott of Buckton Park 
gave 200 guineas for the bull calf from Duchess 5th 
by The G-rove 3d. Rhodia 2d (whose twin-brother 
was sold for a large sum to Mr. Burleigh, United 
States of America), went to the Earl of Coventry 
for 160 guineas and her bull calf, also by The Grove 
3d, was bought by George Forester for 265 guineas. 
Many of the lots exceeded 100 guineas each. The 
writer of these notes purchased five heifers by The 
Grove 3d for his own herd at the following prices: 
66, 74, 80, 87 and 110 guineas each, the latter heifer 
being Gladys, one of the Rhodia family of the fa- 
mous Moreton tribe. The average price for the 
cows and calves was £68/10s. At this sale T. L. 
Miller bought several of the high-priced animals for 
his noted herd at Beecher, 111. M. H. Cochrane, of 
Hillhurst, Canada, was also among the buyers from 
across the Atlantic. George Leigh and Mr. Culbert- 
son, both from the United States, were large pur- 
chasers. 

"After the sale of the females and bull calves 
which were sucking their dams, of which a brief 
outline has been given, the great event of the day 
took place. Discussion had been lively as to what 
price the old bull. The Grove 3d, would make, and 
as to whether he would stop in England or cross 



140 A HISTORY OF JIKKEFOKD CATTLE 

the water. Several Americans liacl declared tliem- 
selves anxious to obtain him, and it was known also 
that as many breeders desired to retain his services 
at home. I shall give the account of the contest for 
him — in the words of a local newspaper published 
on Sept. 10 — four days after the sale: 

'' 'The chief lot in the catalogue was The Grove 
3d, and for the possession of this grand bull there 
was pretty keen competition. . . . The bidding 
commenced at 200 guineas, and loud cheers rent the 
air when Mr. Culbertson made a bid of 670 guineas ; 
there was fresh cheering when this sum was in- 
creased to 700 guineas, and again when it went up 
to 710, this l)eing 10 guineas beyond the highest re- 
corded price ever obtained. When this was aug- 
mented to 800 guineas the enthusiasm became very 
great, and cries of '^G.o it, England!" were raised as 
that sum was bid by Mr. Dearman Edwards and Mr. 
Hill of Felhampton Court (tlie writer of these 
notes). When he was finally knocked down to Mr. 
Culbertson for exportation there was yet another 
burst of cheering, althougli many present expressed 
their regret that so fine an animal should be allowed 
to leave the country.' 

''The sum realized for this celebrated bull was 
810 guineas, and after retaining him in his own herd 
for some time Mr. Culbertson resold him to an 
American herd for £1,200. There i's no doubt of 
The Grove 3d's being one of the greatest sires of the 
last century and that the Horace blood was still 
more largely distributed into nearly all the leading 
herds of Herefords through him." 

Philip Turner was succeeded, in turn, by his son 
Arthur P. Turner, wlio for a long period of years 
sustained admirablv the name and fame of The 



SOMF. KNCI.ISII HKKKI)-HI-1M)ERR 141 

Leon as n iiurscrv of ''classy" Ilerefords, and 
came out to Aniciica, on invitation of the manage- 
ment of the Cliicago Sliow in 1906, to act as .i^idge 
of gracU' and crosshred l)nlh)cks and award tlic fat 
cattle chamj)ionship, his herd heing tinalh' dispersed 
a few years since. 

Is it any wonder that British hreeders succeed so 
well in huilding and maintaining types of highd)red 
domeslic animals, when all the secrets of the art are 
handed <lown, as in the case of the Turners, Tudges, 
and their contemporaries from one generation to an- 
other for indeterminate periods? 

Felhampton Court. — Few of ihe Herefordshire 
breeders did more to i)i-esei've and improve upon 
the sound old foundation stocks than Mr. John Hill 
of Felliam])ton Coui't, undoubtedly one of the best 
informed of all tiiose who have carried on the work 
of per])etuating true Hereford types. "White faces" 
have been bred at Felham])ton Court considerably 
more th.'Ui a century, the foundation of the Hill herd 
being laid in the Frwiek l)lood. At an early date 
the big, heavy-fleshed type attained by Mr. Green of 
Marlow was drawn u])on. ]\Ir. Hill had a special 
admiration, however, for the old Lord Berwick 
blood, and bought largely of the best Cronkhill 
strains. A valuable selection from these was made 
by Mr. Hill at the Longner Hall sale of 1881 at 
which he ])urchased not only a number of cows and 
heifers, but the celebrated Merry Monarch (5466). 
This bull was undoubtedly one of tlie best of his day 
in England, and was used successfully at Felhamp- 



142 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ton Court for some years. He was thus described 
by Mr. Housman: 

"Merry Monarch is really a noble specimen of 
the high-bred Hereford. His broad forehead, full 
eyes, flat-rooted horns, with their wide and down- 
ward bend, give him great character, even when 
only his head is seen, but his head is a faithful in- 
dex of the mass that follows it. . . . The front 
is immensely deep and grand to look at, the neck is 
full of masculine strength, without excess or coarse- 
ness, the breast large and bulging, yet not throwing 
any other part into insignificance. The bull, in no 
forced condition — only fair working order — ^lias 
beef everywhere, very heavily packed behind the 
shoulder (where most bulls are deficient), ample, 
for a lean bull, over the crops, thickly covering his 
strong loin and level hindquarters, and filling every 
nook and corner of the frame. The depth at the 
flank, and armful of heavy flank (it is much more 
than a handful, and hangs out by its weight), bal- 
ance the depth of forequarters, and the ribs fore 
and aft, while they spring out boldly and at once, 
and allow abundance of room for the vital organs, 
are not in too great a hurry to curve in again, but 
extend low enough to give great depth of side." 

Mr. Hill did not make a practice of feeding cat- 
tle for show, so that his name does not appear fre- 
quently in that connection, but it is conceded that 
few men in England have done more to sustain the 
best traditions of the breed. Cattle of Mr. Hill's 
breeding have been imported in considerable num- 
bers into the United States and Canada, and the 
herd has also been extensively drawn upon by dis- 
criminating buyers for South America. 

J. H. Arkwright. — The name of Mr. Arkwright of 



SOME ENGLISH BREED-BUILDERS 143 

Ilanipton Court occurs so frequently in these pages 
lliat it seems scarcely necessary to make special 
iiicntioii of his successful operations in this con- 
nection. The herd was one of the oldest in Here- 
fordshire, having been founded in 1819 b}- John 
Arkwright, Among the best sires used were Sir 
Hungerford and Sir Oliver 2d (1773), a son of Sir 
Thomas. Another of the noted stock bulls in this 
licrd was Ivington Boy (4GG2) by Mr. Tudge's Or- 
leans (21()1) out of Ivington Lass. The Lord Wil- 
ton bull Iro(juois (7030) of Allen Hughes' breeding 
was also in service, and was out of the same cow as 
tlie bull AVashington, shown with such success in the 
United States many years ago by Mr. Yeomans. 
Mr. Arkwright's name is closely connected witli the 
successful introduction of Trerefor<ls into our mid- 
dle western states tlirougli tlie medium of Sir Rich- 
anl 2(1 (40S4). 
The Leinthall Herd. — AVe have already referred 
\ to the remarkal)h' success achieved l)y AVm. Tudge 
of Adforton in the production of high-class Here- 
fords, including Lord AVilton. For a great many 
years, as will appear from our notes on the shows 
further on, the Adforton "white faces" were im- 
portant factors in the Royal competitions. We have 
also referred in the preceding pages to Wm. Tudge, 
Jr., who actively assisted his father in the manage- 
ment of the home herd before engaging in Hereford 
breeding on his own account. We have here an- 
other instance of inherited ability in the successful 
handling of high-class cattle. 



144 A HISTORY or HEREFORD CATTLE 

William had been something of a factor in his 
father's showyard snccesses before beginning 
breeding on his own aceoimt. At the Manchester 
Eoyal of 1869 he took out five Adforton animals, 
including the great heifer Silver Star, bringing 
home fonr first prizes and one second, whereupon 
Mr. Philip Turner of The Leen wrote the young 
man a letter complimenting him upon having 
'* achieved an unparalleled success." The prize- 
winners were paraded upon that occasion before 
the Prince and Princess of Wales, the latter now 
Queen Alexandra. The Princess seemed so pleased 
with Silver Star that she asked the proud young 
man to halt while she 'Spatted" and admired the 
beautiful heifer. This little incident so pleased 
the veteran breeder of Lord Wilton, that when 
his son came out of the ring he said, ''It was 
your doing that Silver Star was put in the show, 
for as you know I had chosen another heifer. On 
this account I will make you a present of her dam, 
in order that you may breed another like her." In 
such fashion many of the successful English breed- 
ers interested and encouraged their sons to follow 
in their own footsteps. 

Mr. Tudge, the younger, began breeding on his 
own account at Coston Hall in 1869, subsequently re- 
moving to and achieving his great success at Lein- 
thall. He commenced with cows of Adforton origin, 
and at his father's sale of September, 1877, bought 
sixteen good cows and heifers, including Eose- 
leaf, a daughter of the Eoyal winner Eosebud^ 



SOME KMil.Isri BHKKD-Rrir.nEKS 145 

aiitl (iwi) >ist<'i- lo Maisliall Xcil (47()1). Ou tlii> 
sjuni' occasion lie i)urclias{'(l four of the best l)iill 
calves, retaining one of these, Napoleon (54-70), for 
service in liis own herd. \\\ ISV!) at IjIkIIow tlic bull 
won lirst ])rize, anti was re<;ar«l(Ml hy his owner as 
a wonderful promise foi- a splendid sire, Init unfor- 
tunately lost lii> lil'e tliiouiih an accident — tlie swal- 
lowing' of a jiiece of wire hidden in his oilcake. 

We have before us as we write a i)ractically com- 
))lete record of the ]>rizes won at English shows by 
the Adforton and Leinthall cattle, but the record is 
so extended that it is impracticable for us to under- 
take to present it in this connection. However, 
many of the more important prizes won by them 
will appear in the review of the Royal showyard 
decisions constituting the subject of ensuing chaj)- 
ters. Suffice it to say that Win. Tudge, Jr. sus- 
tainecl admirably the re]mtation of his father's 
herd, producing many first prize an<l cliami)ion win- 
ners, including the celebrated bull Ancient Briton, 
imjiorted to the Ignited States and cham])i()n at the 
AVorld's Coluiubian Exposition of 1898. The tine 
bull Rob Roy, winner of five consecutive English 
\ championships, was also a Eeinthall product. 

In connection with Mr. Fenn of Stone Brook 
House, ]\Ir. Tudge bought Lord AVilton at the su]t- 
plementary Stocktonbury sale made necessary by 
Mr. Vaughan's failing to take the cattle he liad bid 
off at the great Carwardine dispersion of 1884. One 
tliousand guineas were paid for the famous old sire. 
Mr. Tudge 's o))(>rations, however, cover for the 



146 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

most part a later period in English Hereford his- 
tory than we purpose discussing in this volume, our 
object being to bring the old-country phase of the 
business down only to the point where the big 
American story fairly opens. Latter-day English 
history we are compelled to leave to others. 

At the time the writer saw this fine old herd some 
years ago Gold Box, a bull of uncommon substance, 
compactness, flesh and quality, was the chief sire 
in service. The cattle have since been dispersed, 
and in his retirement in Hertfordshire Mr. Tudge 
with extraordinary patience and courtesy answered 
many questions, and supplied much original infor- 
mation for incorporation into these pages. His 
death occurred at Fair Green, Sawbridgeworth, in 
June, 1914. Another member of this family, Mr. 
John Tudge of Duxmoor, has also made a name for 
himself in English Hereford cattle-breeding circles 
through the production of good cattle of the old 
blood in Shropshire. 



CHAPTER IV. 
BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE. 

English breeders as a rule are good sportsmen. 
They love the excitement of the showyard and be- 
lieve in submitting rival claims to the issue of open 
competition before a capable conimittee of exi)eri- 
enced judges. Many and varied have been the 
changes in their procedure in the development of 
tlieir different bree<ls as a result of this old-estab- 
lished trial by jury. Apropos of this proposition 
an experienced Herefordshire breeder and exhib- 
itor, in a recent letter to the author says: 

''There is nothing like an agricultural show for 
])r()ving up relative quality. I am a great believer 
in them, for I think there is no trial like a public 
trial, whether in the showyard or on the race course. 
' Many a man thinks he has a wonderfully good ani- 
mal until he brings him out in public. He knows 
what he is really like after he meets competitors. 
He usually finds his level or very near it, and the 
owner generally feels better satisfied after try- 
ing it. 

. **I remember once a gentleman who lived seven 
or eight miles ofT me, asking if I would come and 
see a young bull that he thought was a remarkably 
good one. He desired to know if I would advise 
sending him to the Ludlow Show a few miles off. 

**I said, 'Certainly, send him.' He was an indiffer- 
ent animal, but I could see that his owner thought 
him a wonderfully good one, so he sent him. It 

147 



148 A HISTORY OF TIEREFORP CATTLE 

was a fairly large class, and the bull was not in the 
first seven noticed by the jndges. The owner came 
to me and said, 'You made a mistake in advising me 
to send the young ])ull. ' I told him that I had made 
no mistake, that I could see he had no chance of 
winning, but that I could also see that he thought 
his calf a very good one, and having one in the class 
myself (which took second prize) I felt sure he 
would think, had lie not sent him, that he would 
have been near winning. He came to me an hour 
or two afterwards saying, 'You have given me the 
best lesson I ever had in my life, for I did think 
he would aliout win until I saw him with the 
others.' 

''That is one instance of the good agricultural 
shows will do, for competition does wonders in find- 
ing the very good and the indifferent ones, and in 
the case of male animals this is oftentimes a very 
great consideration." 

Easily first in point of influence upon public sen- 
timent in England has been from its first establish- 
ment the Royal Agricultural Society's annual ex- 
hilution. It is held in different parts of the country 
from year to year in order that all localities may 
in turn profit by the lessons to be learned at this 
admirahly managed show.* In recent years the 

*British breeders have probably a keener appreciation of the 
educational value of shows generally than exists in the United 
States. Even their local events are most highly regarded, as 
is instanced by the following incident narrated to the author bv 
Mr. Tudge, Jr., late of Leinthall: 

"It was at a Ludlow show that Rob Roy made his first ap- 
pearance in a showyard. It was that meeting, I believe, that 
made him a double Royal champion. I had been trying to sell 
him, only asking 60 guineas, and could not get it, so I decided 
to send him to Ludlow show. When he came against others he 
was very much admired and won first prize. I could then see. 
and others could also, what a good bull he was. One old Here- 
ford breeder, Tom Nott, of Beechton Park, who did not often praise 
my cattle, said, 'You don't know what a good bull you have. 
Keep him and you'll win first at the Royal.' And he did; so that 
show at Ivudlow made him." 



BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE 141> 

Royal shows have been so extensively reported that 
there is little difticiilty in gaining access to the rec- 
ords of these and similar events in the mother coun- 
try, but it is believed that the presentation of a few 
notes dealing briefly with the great contests of the 
period inmicdiately antedating the era of extensive 
importations to America will be of permanent value 
and interest as shedding ad<litional light n])on the 
English itrogcnitors of Die American Ilerefords. 

At Oxford and Cambridge. — Suggestive of the 
high educational \alu(' ]ilaced upon the Royal show 
by the breeders of (Jieat Britain i* the fact that 
the enterprise which was to jjrove such a fruitful 
source of profit and pleasure to the nobility and 
tenantry of the United Kingdom was launched at 
those great centers of learning, the famous old uni- 
versity towns of Oxford and Cambridge. 

We have already made reference to the fa<'t that 
Mr. Jeffries' celebrated Indl Cotmore (376) was the 
Hereford cham])ion of 18.'>9 at the initial show at 
Oxford. He was a bull that weighed according to 
English estimates above 3,500 pounds. In the same 
pastures at The Grove in after years there grazed 
such different models as Sir Thomas and The 
Grove 3d. The first-prize cow at the first Royal 
was called Spot, and was bred by Turner of The 
Noke, afterwards owner of Sir David. She was by 
a son of Hewer's Sovereign. 

At the second meeting of the Royal Agricultural 
Society at Cambridge in 1840, the celebrated old- 
time Hereford breeder, T. C. Yeld of The Broome, 



150 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

claimed the honor of having produced the winner 
in Napoleon (1334). The Yelds, like the Jeffries, 
had for some years bred many cattle and possessed 
some of the best blood in the country, well main- 
taining the credit of the breed. Mr. Yeld was a 
great believer in character and quality, and his sale 
in 1852 was a memorable one to all Hereford pedi- 
gree men. The Duke of Bedford, who was a great 
admirer of the Herefords, was the exhibitor of Na- 
poleon when he won this first prize at Cambridge. 
The winning cow of that year, Fatrumps, was bred 
and exhibited by another staunch supporter of the 
breed, Sir Hungerford Hoskyns, Bart. She, like 
Cotmore, had Sovereign (404) for a sire, and her 
dam was a Tully cow by Hewer's Waxy 2d (403). 

Bristol, Derby and Southampton. — At the Bris- 
tol Royal of 1842 Mr. John Yeomans appears 
as the breeder and exhibitor of the winner. Royal 
(331), a son of Cotmore (376), the Oxford first- 
prize winner. Royal's dam, Countess, bred by 
Turner of The Noke, was also exhibited by Mr. Yeo- 
mans and won first prize at this same Bristol meet- 
ing. 

At the next show, that of Derby in 1843, Mr. 
Thomas Jeffries of The Grove had the first prizes 
with a bull and cow both of his own breeding. The 
bull. Confidence, had been the winner of the first 
prize and championship that year at Gloucester, 
and he again won it there the year following, to- 
gether with a 50-guinea cup as champion bull. At 
the Hereford show he won as best two-year-old. 



152 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tliree-year-old and aged bull, and was sold at The 
Grove sale to Mr. W. Smith of Biichton Park, a 
neighbor of Thomas Longmore. He was a son of 
Jeffries' Hope (439), a half brother to Cotmore. 
The winning cow, Lady Grove, was by Charity 
(375); her dam was by Chance (348), the sire of 
Sir David. 

The next meeting, that of 1844, was held at South- 
ampton. The winner, Derby (209), was bred and 
exhibited by another old Hereford breeder, W. 
Perry of Monkland. The sire was Lion (335). The 
dam was Foxley, by Paunceford (589), the gran- 
dam, the Foxley Cow, by Phoenix, bred by the 
Misses Tomkins ; the two sold for 850 guineas. The 
cow class at this show was headed by Woodlass, 
shown at eight years old. She was bred by John 
Price of Poole House, Worcestershire, and was 
sired by Young Woodman, a son of the famous cow 
Toby Pigeon, that at nineteen years old had 
dropped nineteen calves. She was out of a cow 
by Triumph 8th, a grandson of Toby Pigeon. 

Shrewsbury and Newcastle. — The Royal show 
of 1845 was held at Shrewsbury, in a Hereford 
breeding district and not very far from the Here- 
ford country proper, so that there was a good muster 
of the breed. Mr. Thomas Sherriff of Coxall, whose 
farm lay just on the lower boundary of Shropshire, 
won the first prize with Emperor (221), bred and 
exhibited by himself. This was a large class, thir- 
teen bulls being shown. Emperor was a big bull 
well marked and of good color. Mr. Sherriff kept 



BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE 153 

him mainly for service iii his own herd, but Lord 
Berwick used him also. A prominent English breed- 
er speaking of this bull says : 

"I can remembej- seeing liim and Confidence, the 
Derby winner of 1843, when staying as a lad witii 
Thomas Longmore, the breeder of Walford (871). 
It was scarcely a mile from Mr. Smith's place to 
Walford village, and not much farther from Wal- 
ford to Coxa 11. Confidence I can remember as of a 
proper Hereford color, rather deep red with curly 
coat, and prominent eyes; but was a little inclined 
to be vicious. He was a stylish looking bull, and 
was used afterwards in several of the best herds. 
Emperor was a quiet good-tempered bull." 

Tlie winning cow at Shrewsbury among eighteen 
competitors was exhibited and bred by Mr. I. N. 

I Car])enter of Eardisland. She was Victoria, three 
years and 'eight months old, a daughter of Mr. 
Jeffries' Hope (4.39), the sire of Confidence. She 
had won first ])rize as a heifer at Southampton the 
year before, and was now sold to Lord Berwick. 
Victoria is entered in Volume 4, page 202, of the 
Hereford Herd Book as having eiglit calves, one of 

I them a Royal winner, xllbert Edward (859). Vic- 
toria had previously won various prizes at the Here- 
fordshire meeting, and also at Tredegar. 

The year following the "Royal show was at New- 
castle-upon-Tyne. The Duke (493), winner of the 
second prize at Shrewsbury, here gained the first. 
His sire. Speculation, was a very successful stock 
bull in the Shrewsbury district, his get including 
winning steers and oxen at the principal fat stock 



154 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

show's. The winner in the bull calf class was the 
afterwards renowned Sir David (349). In the cow 
class Mr. C. Walker of Sutton Tenbury won first 
prize with Newcastle Beauty, bred by himself, and 
a daughter of Baronet (465). 

Northampton, York and Norwich. — The Eoyal of 
1847 was held at Northampton, where Symmetry 
(201), a mottle-face bred and exhibited by Samuel 
Aston, Lynch Court, Pembridge, won first prize 
among the aged bulls. Mr. George Pitt with North- 
ampton (600) won first in the yearling bull class, 
having already taken first prize at Hereford Spring 
Show of that year. 

At York in 1848 Mr. I. N. Carpenter won first 
prize with the bull Coningsby (718), bred by him- 
self, and a son of Quicksilver (353), the winner in 
the yearling bull class at Southampton. Coningsby 
had been second the year before at Northampton. 
He had also won first prize and cup at Lord Trede- 
gar's show, and first at Hereford Spring Show. 
The yearling bull prize upon this occasion was won 
by Mr. Monkhouse with Guy Fawkes (581) in a 
fairly large class. 

The year following, 1849, when the show was held 
at Norwich, is generally called amongst old breed- 
ers *'Sir David's year." This far-famed bull had 
won first as a calf at Newcastle in 1846. He had 
then been bought by Mr. Carpenter, who had a year 
or so later sold him to Price of Pembridge, as al- 
ready set forth. Having been in service in the 
Court House herd he now made his appearance as 




WALFORI) (871). INTKUNATIONAL CHAMI'ION AT TIIi: PARIS KXTOSI- 
TION OF 1855— Kroin an old print. 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
CONINGSBY (718). FIKST AT THE YORK EOYAL OF 1848. 



156 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

aged bull at Norwicli, and an extraordinary good 
one he was pronounced to be. 

Exeter, Windsor and Walford.— In 1850 at Exe- 
ter Mr. John Monkhouse won first prize in aged 
bulls with Guy Fawkes (581), bred by himself, and 
the winner in the yearling class at York. He was a 
son of Thomas' Severn, the first prize in the bull 
calf class at Shrewsbury among eight exhibits. In 
the cow class Mr. I. N. Carpenter won first with 
Lucy, sire Viscount (816), bred by Mr. Philip 
Turner of The Leen, and with a pedigree going 
l)ack to the Aymestry Court herd. 

At Windsor in 1851 the great bull Walford (871) 
made his first appearance at a Eoyal show, gaining 
first prize. He was a remarkably big level bull, by 
many considered the best they had ever seen. His 
first visit to a showyard was at lAidlow in 1850, 
with four of his offspring, where he won first prize. 
He was then the property of Richard Roberts of 
Stanage, who had bought him of his breeder, 
Thomas Longmore of Walford, when he was about 
a year old. It was at this Ludlow show that Lord 
Berwick saw him, and going the next day to Stan- 
age he bought him for £100. Walford did great 
service for His Lordship at Cronkhill, being the sire 
and grandsire of many Royal and other winners. 

The Windsor Royal was the first time Lord Ber- 
wick exhibited Walford in England. At the Paris In- 
ternational Exposition of 1855 he won the gold med- 
al as the best bull of any breed, his son Napoleon 3d 
(1019) being awarded a medal for superior merit at 



nuiTisir SHOWS and riirjK ixri.rEXCE lii7 

tho same pxliibitioii. Walford was ;i hull of c^ood stylo 
ami cliaractcr and ))eaiitit'nlly marked. He never 
met Sir David in competition in the showring, al 
tlioii,i;-li Iwtli were in tlie yard at Ludlow at the same 
time, but in different classes. AVhen Lord Berwick 
decided to buy Walford he afterwards said it was 
impossible, in his opinion, to say which of these two 
was the better bull. "Windsor was a very successful 
meeting' for His Lordship; he won the first prize 
with his cow Duchess of Norfolk, as well as first 
with AValford, and first and second with his two 
three-year-old in-calf heifers. This, with second 
prize in the yearling' heifer class, was a fine record 
for the Cronkhill herd, and it was aehieved amon^ 
larsTO r'l asses. 

Lewes, Gloucester and Lincoln. — Tlie 1852 Royal 

was held at Lewies, when E. Price's Pem- 

brid.sfe (721), by Sir David, was awarded first prize 

in a larire class of a^red bulls. Tie had previously 

gained first at Norwich Poyal and first at Ludlow 

as one of four offspring with his sire, and at Here- 

' ford the same year he was successfully shown with 

i his sire and dam, the latter a daughter of John 

' Hewer's Hope (411), and grandam by Hewer's 

I Sovereign (404). 

Tt seems probable that it was because of the pos- 
session of these two crosses of Hewer bulls that 
Pembridge was kept and used by Mr. Price in his 
j sire's place. This view seems to be confirmed by 
other facts— Sir Da\ad 2d (1065) being a ease in 
point. John Hewer had quite a lot of big well bred 



158 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

bulls tliat lie liired out at differeut times to a great 
many Hereford breeders. They combined great 
scale with hardy constitutions, and were all bred 
by himself. He always said that they descended 
from four or five cows of their own ''breed," whose 
pedigrees went back to the early part of the last 
century. 

The prize cow at Lewes was Lord Berwick's Grey 
Daisy, a daughter of Tom Thumb, a grey bull, the 
cow and her sire's ''breed" going back to the herd 
of Knight of Downton Castle and the Salwey grey 
blood, which, however, in a few years Lord Berwick, 
finding public opinion against it, weeded out. He 
was very fortunate at Lewes, as he had been at 
Windsor; besides winning with his cow he had a 
prize for his two-year bull and first and second 
prizes for his two in-calf three-year-old heifers. 
Mr. Philip Turner was second to Grey Daisy in 
the cow class, so that the grey must have been a 
very good one, or else the judges at that time were 
not particular as to color. 

At Gloucester in 1853 Lord Berwick won first 
with aged bull, this time with Albert Edward (859), 
a son of Wonder (420), dam Victoria, the first prize 
Royal winner at Southampton and Shrewsbury. 
Lord Berwick had bought her from Carpenter at 
the Shrewsbury meeting, and well she had repaid 
him, for besides dropping this Royal winner she 
added six more live calves to the Cronkhill herd. 
Carwardine of Stocktonbury won second here with 
Malcolm, bred by Turner of The Noke. In the year- 




EnWAKP riM<i:S MA<:NKT (S2.1). WINNKR at LINCOLN ItoYAT, DF 1S.-4- 
Froiii nil old Iltliognipli. 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
RED ROSE. BRED BY JOHN HEWER. 



160 A IIISTOKV OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ling bull class Price of Pembridgc won first with 
Magnet (823), bred by T. Yeld, and Lord Berwick 
was second with Tenant. In cows, Monkhouse was 
first with Winnifred, by Monanghty (220), bred by 
James Rea. She prodnced four calves for Rea, one, 
Madoc (899), a noted winner at the Lndlow, Here- 
ford, and local shows. Lord Berwick won first and 
Philip Turner second with in-calf heifers. 

At Lincoln in 1854 Edward Price had first with 
Magnet, the first prize winner at Gloucester the pre- 
vious season. His sire was The Knight (185) ; his 
dam was by Pitt's Big Ben. Malcolm, also by The 
Knight, won second for the second time. In year- 
ling bulls James Rea was first with Guardian, by 
Attraction. In bull calves Price had first on Mag- 
net 2d. 

Magnet (823) is said to have been a bull of splen- 
did style and character, with a wide white mane and 
very yellow horns, a remarkably nice coat and skin, 
and capital quality — not a big bull, just of fair me- 
dium size. His son Magnet 2d was one of four 
offspring with their sire, all so much alike, with 
nice soft coats and skins, that they won first at Lud- 
low and Hereford. Speaking of this bull, Magnet 
2d, Tudge of Leinthall says: 

"I well remember at the Leominster show stand- 
ing with my father and Mr. Price, whilst the bull 
calves were being judged. There was some specu- 
lation as to which would win, my father's calf Ash- 
ford (1499), the Ludlow winner, or Mr. Price's 
Magnet 2d, the Royal winner. It was private judg- 
ing and boarded in, and I being a fairly active lad 



BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE 161 

they held me up to watch for the verdiot. "When I 
said Ashford had won, Mr. Price said, 'I cannot 
believe it, it cannot be right,' for he was a bad 
loser. But after thinking a minute he came and 
shook my father's hand, saying, *If I am to be beat- 
en, I would rather you did it than any other man. 
We shall see how it is at Hereford next week.' 
There it was confirmed." 

In the cow class at Lincoln, ^fonkhouse won first 
with the famous "Wiiinifred, and Lord Berwick was 
again first and Philip Turner second in the in-calf 
heifer class. 

Carlisle, Chelmsford and Salisbury. — The Royal 
of 1855 at Carlisle gave Lord Berwick another 
first prize winner in the aged bull class in Atting- 
ham (911), a fine good-looking son of Walford 
(871), that afterwards did first-class service as a 
sire. The second prize in this class the Earl of 
Radnor won with Carlisle (923). Speaking of these 
two bulls the steward of the Koyal society in his 
report bestowed unstinted and probably excessive 
praise, saying: ''Taking into consideration 
w^eight, quality, symmetry and early maturity these 
are the best animals ever shown." Lord Berwick 
also won first, and John ^Monkhouse second, in two- 
lYear-old bulls. Winnifred, the great Monaughty- 
ired cow now ten years and seven months old, the 
Gloucester winner, was again first. 

The Chelmsford Royal in 1856 developed a 
louble-bred Royal winner as prize-taker for Lord 
Berwick in Napoleon 3d, the son of the two Royal 
irsts at Windsor — W'alford and Duchess of Nor- 



164 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

folk. Napoleon 3d had been a medal bull at the 
Paris exposition. Mr. E. Price's Goldfinder, bred 
by John Perry, took second prize. Carpenter's 
Carlisle Beanty was the winner in the cow class. 
She had already won a gold medal at the Paris In- 
ternational Exposition. 

At Salisbury in 1857 Mr. E. Williams' Radnor 
(1366), the first-prize bull calf at Carlisle, captured 
the aged bull prize, and Edward Price, with Mag- 
net 3d, was first in two-year-olds. In the cow class 
Lord Berwick's Carlisle, by Albert Edward, dam 
Silver, by Emperor (221), took first. Carlisle was 
afterwards sold to Mr. Thomas Duckham, the Here- 
ford Herd Book editor, and sired many prize win- 
ners. 

Chester, Warwick and Canterbury. — It was at 
the Chester Royal of 1858 that Sir David's great 
son Sir Benjamin (1387) first made his appearance 
in public, winning second prize in the aged bull 
class. Price's Goldfinder 2d took first. The latter 
was five years and eleven months old, and Sir Ben- 
jamin but two years and four months, so that he 
was three years and seven months younger than 
his chief competitor. There were nine exhibits in 
the class, some of them good ones, as is indicated 
by the report given in the Royal Agricultural So- 
ciety's journal: 

"Aged bulls; 9 entries. These animals displayed 
such uniformity of character, symmetry and sub- 
stance that it must have puzzled the judges to dis- 
tinguish any of them. The prize bull, the property 
of Mr. Price, Court House, girthed 8 feet 7 inches; 



BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE 165 

another highly commended bull, shown by Lord 
Bateman, girthed 8 feet 9 inches. The latter ex- 
ceeded in girth the winning bull of the Sliorthorn 
class, the Shorthorn's girth being 8 feet 7 inches. 
The two Hereford bulls were a few months the old- 
est. The prize aged Devon bull girthed 7 feet 8 
inches. The bulls exhil)ited by Mr. Rea, Weston- 
bury. Lord Bateman and Lord Berwick were all 
first-class animals, and deservedly received the high 
commendation of the judges." 

It was considered that Sir Benjamin did well 
here, taking into account the heavy metal which he 
was up against. His sire. Sir David (349), as al- 
ready related, had now been brought back from 
Scotland, and the farm of Noke being barely a mile 
from The Grove Mr. Turner had allowed Benjamin 
Rogers to send Prettymaid 2d on a visit to the old 
bull. Sir Benjamin was the result. The next year 
he sent Damsel by Gaylad on a similar visit, 
The Grove (1764) being the result. Two wonder- 
fully good sires they proved to be. 

At Warwick the year following Mr. Hill's Claret 
(1177), the sire of three winners at Lincoln, was 
first and Lord Berwick's Severn second. In the 
yearling bulls the winner among the bull calves of 
1857, Mr. Edward's Leominster, was only placed 
third, Mr. Naylor's Adjutant having first. The 
winner in bull calves was Maximus, from the 
( Queen's herd, but scarcely of the orthodox color, 
having too many spots on his face. The winning 
cow was Mr. Rea's Bella, the first prize three-year- 
old heifer at Chester ; she had gone on remarkably 



166 A HISTORl OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

well. We quote from the report in the Royal Agri- 
cultural Society's Journal: 

"Cows in milk or in calf; 15 entries. Mr. Rea's 
Bella was the admiration of all who beheld her; 
level as a Devon, yet of the size of a Shorthorn, as 
was proved by her girth, one inch more than Mr. 
Stratton's prize cow Matchless Fourth. Lord Ber- 
wick's Beauty was deservedly second. She belongs 
to a family frequently seen at these meetings, but 
never before without gaining first honours. Here 
she was fairly beaten by one of the best Herefords 
we have ever seen. 

** Heifers in milk or in calf; 10 entries. Mr. T. 
Rea's Czarina was the type of a first-class animal. 
Lord Berwick's Ada, like her sister Beauty, was 
here again of necessity placed in a secondary posi- 
tion." 

These reports show how highly the Monaughty 
heifers were regarded, and made Hereford men 
more anxious than ever to possess some of the Sir 
Benjamin blood. 

At Canterbury in 1860 the Herefords were not 
strongly represented. Mr. Edward's Leominster, 
by Wellington, the bull calf winner at Chester and 
third at Warwick, was now placed first. In the 
two-year-old bulls a son of Noble Boy (1337) was 
first, and Sir Richard (1734), a good-looking son 
of Sir Benjamin, was second. Li the cow class 
there was but one representative, Taylor's Fancy 
Leominster, a stylish-looking cow with nice Here- 
ford character. 

Leeds, and the Battersea International. — At Leeds 
the next year the Herefords were much bet- 




T. JLewis 



Samuel Goode 



168 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ter represented. Two Sir Benjamin bulls were 
placed first and second, the winner, Sir Richard, 
second prize in the two-year-olds at Canterbury 
now having first. He was a squarely-built im- 
pressive-looking bull. The second prize Silvius was 
a big one. Richard Hill won first in the two-year- 
olds with Milton (2114), by Chanticleer (1173), 
by Attingham (911), Walford's son and a first 
prize winner himself at Carlisle. In bull calves Mr. 
Hill also won first with a smart good-looking son 
of Chanticleer. The first prize cow was Laura, by 
Silvester (797), a son of Pembridge (721) by Sir 
David, bred and exhibited by Mr. T. Naylor, Leigh- 
ton Hall. Laura's pedigree goes back to the old 
Tully "breed." In heifers Lord Berwick bred the 
winner Adela, by Will o' Wisp (1454) and a daugh- 
ter of Agnes, by Attingham. She was a nice heifer 
bought by the Prince Consort for the Royal Flemish 
Farm at Windsor. 

In 1862 occurred the great International meeting 
of the Royal society. It was held in Battersea Park, 
London, and here the Herefords were strongly rep- 
resented. The first prize in aged bulls was given to 
the Royal herd for Maximus (1650), the first prize 
bull calf at Warwick, a son of Brecon (918). He 
was not of a true Hereford color, having spots on 
his face and legs, his "breed" going back to the 
old mottle-faced Tomkins stock and the Tully greys. 
He was a wide, deep, heavy-fleshed bull. The gold 
medal was given to Mr. Hill's Milton, the first prize 
three-year-old bull at Leeds the year before. He 



BRITISH snows AND THEIR INFLUENCE 169 

was well entitled to his class prize and to the cham- 
pionship honors, which he also received, but was 
not quite of true Hereford color, having more white 
than usual. lie traced ])ack tlirou.i^li his grandsire 
Attingham to some of Lord Berwick's greys. The 
first prize two-year-old, Mr. Taylor's Unity, was of 
the right Hereford color and a level straight bull 
that had previously won first prize at Tredegar, the 
Herefordsliire, Ludlow and lieoniiiister shows. His 
sire was St. Oswell, dani of King James (078), a 
son of Walford. 

In cows the winner, ^fatchless, l)red and exhib- 
ited by Mr. H. Coate, Sherborne, Dorsetshire, was 
also gold medal winner as best female Hereford. 
She was a very big cow but not of as nice quality 
as the Prince Consort's Adela, a prize-winner at 
Leeds in 1861. The latter was the general favorite 
for the gold medal prize, being of fairly good size 
with splendid quality, in fact, a model Hereford. 
In three-year-old heifers Mr. J. M. Kead, of Glou- 
cestershire, won first prize with Theora, by Sebas- 
topol (1381). Her dam was bred by the late Lord 
Berwick from Cherry 7th. This was a big, very 
fat and fairly level heifer. Butterfly, bred and ex- 
hibited by William Tudge, was second. She was 
a very nice straight heifer with plenty of quality, 
by The Doctor (1083), bred by James Rea. In year- 
ling heifers the first prize went to Mr. Baldwin's 
Adeline from the Cronkhill herd. Mr. Eead took 
second with another of the late Ivord Berwick's 
daughters of Cherry 7th, Miss Southam, by Caliban 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
COUxNTRY SEAT 0I(^ SIR J. R. G. COTTRILL, BART. 




Copyright photo by Bustiu 
riRETTOX COURT, HOME OF J. H. YEOMANS. 




Copyright photo by Bustln 



J. H. AKKWRIGIIT OF HAMTTON COURT AND HIS FAVORITE 
HUNTER "BAGPIPE." 



-j^Y2 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

(1163). It is mentioned by the judges of Here- 
fords here that eight winners out of the twenty- 
four were either bred by Lord Berwick or descend- 
ed from his herd.* 

Worcester and Sir Thomas.— In 1863 the Royal 
show was at Worcester. Being so near the home 
of the Herefords there was plenty of competi- 
tion. In the aged bull class first prize fell to J. H. 
Arkwright's Sir Oliver 2d (1733), son of Sir Ben- 
jamin and a very big level bull with good character, 
style and quality. Another son of Sir Benjamin 
named Plato won the second prize in this good class. 
He was also bred by Mr. Thomas Rea. It is offi- 
cially remarked that "Thomas Rea may be con- 
gratulated on breeding two such good bulls combin- 
ing great size with such good quality." 

In three-year-old bulls Mr. William Taylor of 
Showle Court had first prize with Tambourine 
(2254), bred by Lord Bateman and a son of Car- 
lisle (923). The second prize bull, Moderator, was 
also bred by Lord Bateman and also a son of Car- 
lisle. In two-year-old bulls the Battorsoa decision 

♦While this Battersea Park show was in progress at London 
a world's exposition was being held in Hyde Park. People from 
all over the world, mostly in their native costumes, came there 
and Mr. Edwards of Wintercott conceived the idea of getting the 
shepherds and herdsmen who were at the Royal from Hereford- 
shire and Shropshire to dress up in their white smock-frocks, their 
usual holiday dress in the West of England. He told as many as 
could to don their best, clad that way, and that he would take 
them to the exposition and pass them off as foreigners, only they 
must not speak. Accordingly he took about thirty, who followed 
him solemnly in Indian file up and down the different avenues. 
Crowds of Londoners trailed behind asking all manner of ques- 
tions, and wondering what country they came from, nor did they 
find out, much to Mr. Edwards' delight. 



BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE 173 

was reversed and the third prize winner at that 
show, Adforton (1839), a bull of great substance 
1 1 bred by William Tudge and shown by Thomas Ed- 
wards of AVintercott, was first. He was a son of 
I The Grove (1764), Sir David's son. The second 
'I prize was given to Mr. Baldwin on Battersea, the 
first prize winner at Battersea. In bull calves Eob- 
erts of Ivingtonbury won first with Battenhall, bred 
by himself and sired by Sir Thomas, son of Sir 
Benjamin. In a large class of good bulls he was 
1 1 called ''a very nice one, with plenty of hair and 
quality, and with such thighs, for a young one, as 
are not often seen; just the style and character a 
Hereford ought to have." 

In the cow class Mr. John Perry of Cholstrey had 
first prize with Beauty, by Noble Boy (i337). 
Thomas Eea was second with Kate 2d, a good 
I daughter of Sir Benjamin, shown in a large class. 
!' In three-year-old heifers William Tudge of Adfor- 
I ton was first with Lady Ashford, bred by himself, a 
I daughter of Carbonel (1525). She had not just a 
j nice head, her horns going up a little, but she was 
I a most perfect animal in all other respects. Mr. 
! Pitt was second, and the Prince Consort's heifer 
, Adela, with splendid hindquarters, was third. In 
! yearling heifers the veteran Mr. Monkhouse was 
first with Clementine, sired by Chieftain (930), a 
heifer of good size, substance and quality. She was 
j well supported by Mr. Roberts' 2d Duchess of Bed- 
fford, by Sir Thomas. The third place was taken 
by Mr. W. Perry of Cholstrey with Lady Duppa. 



174 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

In "Punch," the London comic paper, there was a 
comment upon this chiss as follows: 

"Well may the gallant veteran o'er his growthy lass wax merry, 
For he has beat victorious Roberts, and polished off old Perry." 

In the class for heifers under twelve months 
Thomas Eoberts had first prize with Miss Hastings 
2d, by Sir Thomas, a grey one bred and exhibited 
by A. E. Boughton Knight of Downton Castle being 
second. In special prizes given by the Worcester 
Local Committee for the best pair of Hereford cows 
in milk, the first was given to Mr. John Walker of 
Holmes for Alice Grey and Nell Gwynne, bred by 
John Hewer. Second prize went to Philip Turner 
of The Leen for Jewell and Juliet, by Felix (9531) 
and both bred by himself. For the best pair of 
heifers in milk or in calf first prize went to the ex- 
ecutors of James Rea of Monaughty on Diana and 
Spangle 2d, both by Wellington (1112). The prize 
for best bull, cow and offspring fell to Roberts of 
Ivingtonbury on Sir Thomas, by Sir Benjamin, the 
cow Flower and her heifer calf. 

Sir Thomas was by this time forging rapidly to 
the front. He had a true Hereford bull's head, 
wide good shoulders, broad chine, a very straight 
top, remarkably good hindquarters, as level from 
the hip to the rump as could be found, with big 
thighs and straight hind legs. He was a long big 
bull with no ''dent" anywhere. In fact, all the Sir 
Benjamin stock came out well at Worcester, win- 
ning three firsts and three seconds on six exhibits, 
Sir David's grandson Adforton (1839) well sup- 




TRKDEGAR (5077) AT TWO YEAKS SEVEN MONTHS— BRED BY W. 
TAYLOR, SHOWLE CODRT. 




WINTER DE COTE (4253) AT THREE YEARS— BRED BY MR. EDWARDS 
OF WINTBRCOTT. 



176 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

porting them. This show was largely visited by the 
best Hereford breeders, and the success of the Sir 
Benjamin and Sir David blood gave a great impetus 
to the demand for cattle of that extraction. It will 
be noted that at Battersea the other grand old 
Hereford sire and contemporary of Sir David, the 
famous Walford of Lord Berwick's herd, had sup- 
plied a large number of winners — eight out of 
twenty-four. It appears clear, therefore, that 
these two bulls did much for the breed and later 
on, when their blood was combined, some wonderful 
winners and champions were produced. 

Newcastle, Plymouth and the Rinderpest. — In 
1864 the meeting was at Newcastle-on-Tyne. This 
being considered far from home the Hereford 
classes were not so well supported there as at 
Worcester. In the aged bull class a Worcester win- 
ner, Mr. Taylor's Tambourine, led. He had won 
before in the three-year-old class; bred by Lord 
Bateman he was a son of Carlisle, the winner of 
the second to Attingham, the son of Walford, at 
Carlisle. At the two previous Bath and West of 
England shows Mr. J. A. Ilolling's Chieftain 2d 
had been placed first before Tambourine. They pre- 
sented a very great contrast— Chieftain 2d an enor- 
mously big bull and Tambourine much smaller but 
very neat. Here the decision was reversed and 
Chieftain, bred by James Rea, was placed third. In 
the three-year-old class Battersea won first for his 
owner, Mr. John Baldwin. In the two-year-old bulls 
Mr. Thomas Duckham, editor of the Hereford Herd 



BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE 177 

Book, had first prize with a very level good bull, 
Commodore. 

In the cow class Spangle 2d, one of the pair of 
heifers previously exhibited by Thomas Rea and 
now shown by his widow, Mrs. Louise Woodgate 
Rea, won first. Mr. Rea had purchased the cow at 
his father's sale for 85 guineas, but owing to his 
own death through an accident in the hunting field 
his cattle were sold the following October. At the 
sale Spangle 2d made 101 guineas to Mr. John Bald- 
win, and her bull calf called Sir Frank brought 121 
guineas. Mrs. Rea also won second in this class 
with Kate 2d, a daughter of Sir Benjamin that had 
been second at Worcester. In three-year-old heifers 
Baldwin won first with Duchess of Bedford 2d, by 
Sir Thomas, now grown into a grand heifer. In 
two-year-olds he again had first prize with Miss 
Hastings 2d, another daughter of Sir Thomas and 
the winner of the first at Worcester. John Monk- 
house took a first with Fairy Queen, a daughter of 
Chieftain, another triumph for the Monaughty 
''breed." 

The next Royal, and the last for two years fol- 
lowing, was held in 1865 at Plymouth when Mr. J. 
M. Reed's Colesborne (2467),"^ a son of Caliban 
(1163), by Attingham, won first prize. Mr. J. A. 
Soiling's big Chieftain 2d was placed second to him, 
and Battersea third. In three-year-olds Mr. Duck- 
ham's good grandson of Sir Benjamin, Commodore 
(2472), won first and Stallard's Chieftain 3d, a 
son of Chieftain 2d, received second prize. In the 



178 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

COW class Mr. Baldwin won first with his now well 
known and truly splendid Duchess of Bedford 2d, 
daughter of Sir Thomas. In three-year-old heifers 
he again had first with Miss Hastings 2d, another 
daughter of Sir Thomas, this being her third first- 
prize Royal win in succession — more honor for the 
Sir Benjamin blood. Her Majesty Queen Victoria 
here won first prize on a yearling heifer. Princess 
Mary by Deception, a son of Sir Benjamin. 

This was the last Royal show until Leicester in 
1868, because after the successful meeting at Ply- 
mouth came dire threat of an epidemic of cattle 
plague, that fatal and contagious rinderpest which 
had been imported from abroad and had swept off 
whole herds, paralyzing all efforts to check it except 
by slaughtering the cattle. Many a happy and pros- 
perous homestead was completely ruined by its rav- 
ages, Cheshire county and the dairy districts suf- , 
fering most. Only one lot of Herefords was at-! 
tacked, and that through the thoughtlessness of the 
owner, Charles Vevers of Ivington, the breeder of 
the bull Battersea.* Prompt measures on the part 

*Mr. Vevers lived only about three field-breadths from Mr. 
Edwards' farm of Wintercott. Vever's mother-in-law, living near 
Gloucester, wrote asking him to come at once, as her cattle were 
dying. He went to see them, and returning thoughtlessly went 
amongst his own cattle without changing his clothing. Of course 
his own herd was infected; many died and the others were con- 
demned and slaughtered, and thereby a little story is told of Win- 
tercott's application of the law of self-protection. 

Mr. Edwards was badly frightened. He had sold his valuable 
Royal winners, including Adforton, and nearly all that were fit 
to kill to the butcher, and kept a barrel of whitewash near the 
house, continually using it about the premises. Vevers very 
thoughtlessly sent one of his men to Wintercott to borrow a 
couple of ropes. Edwards caught sight of him coming, steered 
him to the whitewash cask, took him by the collar of his coat 
and the seat of his "brigs," and put him in nearly up to his neck, 
saying, "There, go home and tell your master to come here, and I 
will serve him the same." 



BRITISH SHOWS AND THEIR INFLUENCE 179 

of the government authorities checked the trouble, 
so that fortunately it went no farther in Hereford- 
shire. All fairs and markets were declared sus- 
pended during the autumn of 1865, as well as all 
meetings of agricultural societies. It was not until 
1868, therefore, that the Eoyal society held its next 
meeting. 



CHAPTER V. 
MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED. 

The three years intervening between tlie Ply- 
mouth Royal and the next meeting, held in 1868 at 
Leicester, was a period during which a material 
change of sentiment occurred in respect to the type 
of cattle to be sought. The ''Sir Benjamin era" 
was now passing. It had been characterized by a 
steadfast adherence to scale coupled with heavy 
flesh smoothly disposed. More attention was now 
to be paid to quality, and in this trend Sir Thomas 
and his get were destined to receive high public 
favor. 

At the "Worcester Royal, Mr. Coleman, the Duke 
of Bedford's representative, had expressed himself 
pointedly and emphatically in favor of paying less 
attention to mere size, and at the two next subse- 
quent meetings this sentiment was clearly becoming 
more prevalent. Sir Thomas had been bought in 
1864 by Mr. Monkhouse of The Stow, but owing 
to the death of that able and distinguished old-time 
breeder in 1866 his herd had to be sold, with Sir 
Benjamin's great son included. Sir Thomas, it will 
be recalled, was bred by Roberts of Ivingtonbury 
from a cow called Lady Ann, by Arthur Napoleon 
(910), he by West Australian (1114), a son of j 

180 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 181 

Curly (801), a bull imported into the United States 
in the early days of the Herefords in America by 
Thomas Aston of Elyria, as will presently be related. 
Thanks to this cow, Sir Thomas is said to have 
been remarkably good over the shoulders and chine, 
Sir Benjamin's weak points. Sir Thomas was ex- 
ceptionally long, level and good, not only along his 
back to his hips, but over the quarter well out to 
the tail, which was well set on above an exception- 
ally big thigh and straight hind legs. He had what 
was called ''a good-tempered looking head, though 
thoroughly masculine. ' ' His chief characteristics he 
transmitted to most of his offspring, as he was a 
very prepotent bull. He was hailed as a prospective 
great improver of the breed, and so it came to pass 
that when the Monkhouse dispersion was announced 
many a Hereford breeder thought he would like to 
possess Sir Thomas. They went by scores to Stow 
sale with the intention of trying to purchase the 
redoubtable bull. However, the sum of £409/10s. 
was rather a prohibitory price to most of them. 
Still, there were two tenant farmers who contested 
it to the last, Mr. Geo. Pitt of Chadnor and Mr. 
Benjamin Rogers of The Grove. It was to The 
Grove, the birthplace of his sire Sir Benjamin, that 
Sir Thomas went and a very fortunate purchase it 
was, for he proved a mine of wealth to his new 
owner. 

The Worcester decisions had a great influence in 
turning public opinion towards quality and shapeli- 
ness, more especially after the Battersea verdicts. 




SIR THOMAS (2228). 




SIR BENJAMIN (1387). 




SIR OLIVER 2D (1733) AT FIVE YEARS OLD— BRED BY THOS. RBA AND 
SIRE OF SIR RICHARD 2D. 




Copyright photo by Bustla 
ARKWRIGHT, WITH HIS FAMOUS OLD BULL SIR HUNGERFORD (3447). 



184 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Several of those had not been popular with the prin- 
cipal Hereford breeders, for in the case of the 
champion cow and the aged bull the honors were 
not given in accordance with the quality in the one, 
nor the recognized Hereford character in the other. 
The Worcester show and the Sir Thomas sale fairly 
ushered in a different era in this middle period of 
the English pedigree Hereford, and each subse- 
quent Royal and Bath and West of England show 
confirmed this fact. It was at those shows, and 
through the criticism there passed on the judging, 
that public opinion among the breeders and ad- 
mirers of the Herefords found full expression. 

Leicester a Turning Point as to Scale. — The 
Leicester Royal show of 1868 well demonstrated 
the tendency just alluded to, in fact, confirmed it. 
In the aged bull class Battenhall, the Worcester 
winner as a bull calf, was the winner again. He was 
well furnished in all his points, showing excellent 
quality and good breeding. He had not so much 
scale as the second and third prize bulls, but his 
good points were his by rightful inheritance, as he 
was a son of Sir Thomas and out of Duchess by 
King James, son of Walford. If he had not the 
scale of either of his two grandfathers he had 
grown into a deep thick wide bull that well met the 
demands of progress. 

In the three-year-bull class it was entirely quality 
that gained the day in behalf of character and sym- 
metry, as the winner. Sir Hungerford, bred and 
shown by Mr. John Hungerford Arkwright of 




Copyright photo by Bustiii 
FARM YARD AT WALL END, MONKLAND. 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
WALL END, MONKLAND— Home of the Cave family. 



186 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Hampton Court, was not so big as his competitors. 
But with his nice soft curly coat and mellow touch, 
his length of body and straightness of back, he was 
an undoubted favorite with both judges and the 
public. In the two-year-old bulls the decision was 
again more for quality than scale, the award being 
given to the Adforton bull Brandon. The second 
was a much bigger one from the Royal herd, Her 
Majesty Queen Victoria's Prince Leopold, by De- 
ception, a son of Sir Benjamin bought at the Mo- 
naughty sale. In yearling bulls another Adforton 
bull, Landseer (3202), by Artist, a son of Sir Ben- 
jamin, took the prize. 

It was in the cow class that a most marked recog- 
nition of quality was given to Mr. Arkwright's 
Hampton Beauty. She had nothing like the scale 
of several others in the class, but she, like Sir Hun- 
gerford, was the decided favorite with both the 
public and the judges. One of the latter had been 
judge of Herefords before, but he now sensed the 
popular feeling and placed Hampton Beauty, 
rightly named, first. The Monaughty cow from the 
Eoyal herd came in for second prize. In yearling 
heifers it was Mr. Arkwright's small heifer. Lady 
Leicester, that had first place. She was far the 
smallest heifer in the class, but had undoubtedly the 
most quality. A bigger heifer from Hampton Court 
only took reserve. A daughter of Deception from 
the Royal herd was second, with Diadem and 
Adforton third. In heifer calves Tudge's beau- 
tiful Silver Star, seen here for the first time and 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 187 

destined to great fame, had first prize, the second 
going to a much bigger one f j-om the Kingsland 
herd. It was surely a great credit to the Hampton 
Court and Adf orton management that each bred and 
exhibited three first prize winners at this notable 
show. 

Quality Again Triumphs at Manchester. — In 
1869, the country now having settled down com- 
pletely after the rinderpest and owners and cattle 
breeders breathing more freely after knowing that 
the dread disease was a thing of the past, the Royal 
was held at Manchester, and was the most successful 
meeting up to that time. As at Leicester, quality 
seemed to be the leading feature in all breeds, in the 
Hereford perhaps more particularly so than else- 
where. In the aged bull class Mr. Arkwright's Sir 
Hungerford again took first. He had been a great 
favorite at the Leicester meeting and was even 
more popular at Manchester, his level even form 
and splendid quality coming in for almost universal 
approbation. He was just the type breeders and 
buyers wanted. The second prize bull, Young Con- 
queror, from Berrington, one of the late Lord Ber- 
wick's "breed," was scarcely noticed. Sir Hunger- 
ford was got by a son of Sir Thomas. 

In the three-year-olds a new exhibitor, Mr. Morris 
of Madley, with a son of Sir Thomas called The 
Stow had the winner. This was not a big bull by 
any means, but he was squarely built. The second 
went to Prince Leopold from the Royal herd. He 
had scale, but not the requisite quality. In two- 




Copyright photo by Bustln 

no:\ii: of tiii: r. \ii: i'ktku coats, siiicepcote. 







Copyright photo by Bustln 
HOME OF J. P. PliOSSBR, TREVITHEL COURT. 




Copyrlgbl pboto by Uustin 
ENDALE AND HOLMER, PRIZE BULLS AT SHEEPCOTE. 




Copyright photo by Bustiti 
A TRIO OP GOOD HEIFERS AT "WESTONBURY." 



190 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

year-olds a well made bull from Wintercott, Leo- 
minster 3d, gained first prize. He was a son of 
Tomboy, a Sir Thomas bull, his dam by the 
Worcester Royal winner Adforton. He had all the 
appearances of making a good bull. The others in 
the class had not the same quality. In bull calves 
an Adforton entry, Ostorius, a son of the Leicester 
winner Brandon, was an easy winner. He had fair 
scale and quality. 

The cow class was not so large in numbers, but 
was exceptionally good. Sir Benjamin's wonderful 
daughter, Queen of the Lilies, bred at Monaughty, 
her dam a daughter of Borderer, bred from James 
Rea's best strain, was a magnificent animal of great 
scale but absolutely level, and with capital quality 
as well. The second prize. Lady Adforton, bred 
by Tudge, was a remarkably good cow, a credit to 
any breed, but here fairly beaten. Among the three- 
year-old in-calf heifers Diadem from the Adforton 
herd, a marvelously good heifer by Chieftain 4th 
(Brandon's sire) and from Deborah, by Pilot 
(2156), gained the first prize. She was not so big 
as some in the class, but had fine quality. She had 
stood only third at Leicester, not being so well up 
in condition for show; the winner then, Lady 
Leicester, was now only reserve. 

In yearling heifers the prize-winner came again 
from Adforton, now to almost a model of what a 
Hereford ought to be— Silver Star, which had been 
winner in the young heifer class at Leicester. 
She was a daughter of Stanway (2790), by Pilot, 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 191 

by The Grove (1764), her dam being by Harold 
(2029), another son of The Grove, making her 
rather inbred. Yet she had plenty of constitution 
and was well-nigh perfect in form. 

In heifer calves another Adforton heifer gained 
first prize. This was Lady Brandon, a daughter 
of Brandon from Lady Adforton, the winner of the 
second prize at the Manchester Royal. She had also 
been second to Queen of the Lilies at the Bath and 
West of England meeting. This was a wonderfully 
good performance on the daughter's part, for Mr. 
Tudge tells us: "She was the smallest calf I ever 
saw born to its natural time. Her mother had only 
a day or two returned from a local show. We had 
just loosed her out of her box, my father and I. 
When she stepped in the fold-yard she calved Lady 
Brandon standing. I ran up and picked up the little 
calf, which was as lively as possible, carrying it 
indoors on my two hands, and just within a few 
days of twelve months old she gained first prize at 
the Royal." A very good heifer belonging to Mr. 
Thomas Fenn, Duchess of Bedford 6th, was second. 

A new admirer of first-class pedigree Herefords, 
and purchaser of the best to commence a herd with, 
appeared at this show. He was a Scotch nobleman, 
the Earl of Southesk, who bought Queen of the Lil- 
ies, Diadem, and the winning young bull Ostorious. 

Rogers and His Tall Herdsman. — Thos. Rogers 
of Coxall, the owner of a fine herd that is said 
to have gained upwards of 200 prizes at various 
times and places, was an exhibitor here, and a some- 



192 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

what amusing occurrence took place in connection 
with the awarding of the third prize to his Coxall 
Beauty. She was a good heifer, but a little inclined 
to droop in the back, and Rogers had no doubt told 
his herdsman who led her in to keep her head well 
down when standing, so as not to show the fault. 
The man was very tall, quite six feet, and very thin. 
The heifer being comparatively small he had to 
stoop a great deal to keep her head down, which 
was very conspicuous, much to Rogers' annoyance. 
But the more he gesticulated the lower the man held 
her head, until one of the judges finally said loud 
enough for all to hear, *'We can quite see what is 
the matter, my man, but you deserve the prize for 
the heifer," and she had it. 

Stanway, Silver Star and the Australians. — 
In 1870 the Royal returned to its birthplace, Ox- 
ford, where indeed, the Herefords were a splendid 
lot and greatly admired. In the aged bull class 
Stanway (2790) won first prize. He was the prop- 
erty of Sir Joseph Bailey, but was bred at Adforton 
and had here a very easy win, for he was a grand 
animal girthing 9 feet 4 inches, just 5 inches bigger 
through the heart than Bolivar, the champion Short- 
horn. Although Stanway had great scale he pos- 
sessed first-class quality, and was remarkably level 
in his lines. It was unanimously allowed that he 
was the best male animal of all breeds in the yard. 
He was a son of Pilot (2156), by The Grove (1764), 
from the same dam as Brandon. Second to him was 
Prince Leopold from the Royal herd. This was the 




CopyriglU photo by Bustin 
COURT OP NOKE, HOME OF THE LATE EDWARD FARR. 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
LOWER EATON— SEAT OF C. T. I'LILLEY. 



194 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

third time he had occupied the same position at the 
Royal show, Stow having been once put above him; 
but they now changed places. 

In the three-year-old class Her Majesty the 
Queen by common consent deservedly won first with 
Prince Albert Edward (3540), a son of Deception 
by Sir Benjamin, remarkably good over chine, top 
and shoulders, with nice style, character and qual- 
ity, and afterwards sold to go to Australia. The 
winning bull in the under-two-year class was Mr. 
Philip Turner's Trojan, by Franky, Walford's son 
from Exquisite by Sir David, a very level nice qual- 
ity bull and like the winner in the preceding class 
sold to go to Australia. 

In the cow class one of the neatest, prettiest cows 
ever shown took first prize. This was Thomas 
Eogers' Silk. With a coat certainly like silk, she 
was the smallest cow in the class, quite in contrast 
with the previous year's winner, Queen of the Lil- 
ies, but in the general opinion equally as well en- 
titled to premier position now. She had splendid 
quality, was level as a floor, and the other cows 
looked altogether plain by comparison. In three- 
year-olds the beautiful heifer from Adforton, Silver 
Star, won her third first prize at the Royal. She 
had previously been first at Leicester and Manches- 
ter, at two Bath and West of England meetings, at 
Southampton, and at Taunton, and she had won 
Lord Tredegar's cup at Newport. The late Mr. 
Housman, who was a well recognized authority on 
prize animals of this and a later period, called her 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 195 

**a perfect model of what a show animal ought to 
be." She had plenty of scale, and in type, char- 
acter and form was called faultless. A daughter 
of the first prize aged bull Stanway, she very much 
resembled her sire and m her case, as it was in his, 
she was universally considered and allowed to be 
the best of her sex in the showyard, of any breed. 
Mr. Philip Turner's good-looking Silvia was second 
to her as before. Silver Star, like most of the win- 
ners and best Herefords at this Oxford show, was 
sold to Messrs. Barnes and Smith of Dyrabba, New 
South Wales, to go to Australia with her companion 
Lady Brandon, the winner of the second prize in the 
next class. Right royally did Silver Star repay 
her buyer ; Mr. Smith on a visit to England in 1900, 
just thirty years afterwards, said that he had now 
"300 Silver Stars, all descended from that one 
heifer and all marked exactly as she was, of the 
true Hereford color." On his return he sent back 
to England a photo of 150 of these all facing the 
camera, and a bonny sight they must have been. 

The Hereford display at the Oxford meeting was 
one of the best ever seen at a Royal show, and the 
most satisfactory for the exhibitors — the Australian 
buyers purchasing so many and at such good prices. 
With them, as with the Herefordshire breeders now, 
quality was the first consideration. That this was 
truly the watchword of the hour was thoroughly ex- 
emplified by the Oxford awards. They were made 
by Mr. S. W. Urwick and by Mr. Yeomans of Brecon- 
shire, an uncle of Mr. J. H. Yeomans, now of Wit- 




Copyright photo by Bustln 
PAIR OF STEERS WITH OLD-FASHIONED HORNS. 




Copyright photo by Bustln 
A FAMILY GROUP AT ARTHUR P. TURNER'S. 




Copyright photo by Bustln 
GEO. BUTTERS OF HILL HOUSE H(llJ)ING HIS ROYAL PRIZE BULT 
SAILOR PRINCE. 




Copyright photo by Bustln. 
A GROUP OP FAVORITE OLD BREEDING COWS AT HAMPTON COURT IN 
THE EARLY EIGHTIES. 



198 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tington, who acted as clerk for the two judges and 
entered Stanway's girth on the official sheets at 
the time as being the largest they had ever known. 
The bull's substance was so combined with quality, 
however, and he was so smooth and level in all his 
points, that until his girth was taken it was not real- 
ized how big he actually was. 

Wolverhampton and Cardiff.— The year following 
the two great shows at Manchester and Oxford came 
that at Wolverhampton. This was scarcely equal to 
the Oxford show in outstanding animals, although 
the Herefords came out remarkably well in point of 
numbers shown and in most cases in point of quality 
also. 

The winner in the aged bull class was Monaughty 
3d, that had been second to that exceptionally good 
bull of Her Majesty, Prince Albert Edward, at Ox- 
ford. He was then scarcely so well up in show con- 
dition, but now with another year he had grown into 
a bull of good character and quality, indeed, a type 
of what a Hereford bull should be. Second to him 
was the thick, square, good-looking Bachelor, a son 
of the Adforton bull Douglas from a Sir Thomas 
cow. In the three-year-old bulls Royal Head, a mas- 
sive one from Mr. Kingsland's herd, was first. He 
had both character and style. The second in the 
class was Ostorius, bred at Adforton and first at 
Manchester. The third was a remarkably nice level 
bull, Mr. Philip Turner's Provost, a son of Bachelor. 
He really had the most quality of any in the class. 
In yearling bulls Mr. R. Hill's nice-quality bull, 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 199 

Pearl Diver, was first. His sire Triumph was a son 
of Sir Thomas. 

In cows, Ivington Rose, a daughter of Sir Thomas 
resembling her sire very much in color, character and 
evenness of form, had first prize, and by general 
agreement she well deserved it. P. Turner's Silvia, 
by Franky, took second place. In two-year-old heif- 
ers, a large and good class, Turner won first with 
Rarity, a daughter of Bachelor and a perfect beauty, 
but shown at the very great disadvantage of being 
only three weeks too old for the younger class ; still 
she won among a lot of good ones in spite of giving 
away the eleven months. John Harding took second 
with Dahlia, a nice daugter of Symmetry. In year- 
ling heifers he was more successful, winning first 
with another daughter of Symmetry, Lizzie Jeffreys, 
in a good class of sixteen. Turner's Plum, another 
handsome daughter of Bachelor, very much of the 
Sir Thomas type, was second. The heifer calves 
were as good a lot as one often sees together, Thomas 
Fenn winning with Lady of the Fenn, which dis- 
played quality, character and style. This Wolver- 
hampton meeting was a splendid show of pedigree 
Herefords, and again the greater part of the best 
were sold to go to Australia. 

At Cardiff in 1872 there was another excellent 
entry of Herefords. There were many good local 
herds thereabouts and it was also near to the home 
county. Stephen Robinson's Bachelor (2941), sold 
to Philip Turner, was here brought out in greatly 
improved form and headed the aged bulls. He was 



200 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

rich in the blood of Sir David and proved a good 
sire. His dam was Spinster, by Sir Thomas. The 
second prize bull in this class was Provost, a very 
good son of Bachelor only a week and two days too 
old for the younger class. He was full of quality 
with style and character. In the bull calf class 
Thomas Fenn's Cap Hall, by Severus 2d, was placed 
first and Eegulus (4076) from Adforton, a son of 
Sir Eoger (4133), sire of Lord Wilton and son of 
Sir Thomas, was placed second, but the general 
opinion was that this should have been reversed. 
Regulus was destined to attain much renown. 

In the cow class at Cardiff Ivington Rose was 
again placed first, as she had been at Wolverhampton 
the year before. She was a grand show cow, long 
and level, with splendid color and character, quite 
like Sir Thomas in type. The second prize cow Silk 
2d, a neat one, royally bred, was by Battenhall, prize- 
winning son of Sir Thomas, and her dam, Silk, was 
first at the Oxford Royal. In three-year-old heifers 
Mr. W. Thomas won first with Sunflower, a fine styl- 
ish good-looking heifer properly put above Turner's 
Plum. Mr. Thomas was third also with another good 
one in a strong class. In two-year-olds Thomas again 
won first prize with Rosalind, by Sir John 3d, the 
sire of his two previously winning heifers also. This 
heifer had been placed below the second and third 
at Wolverhampton, but now very fairly beat them. 
In heifer calves Mr. Turner's Ruby, a daughter of 
Bachelor, deservedly won first. 

Cardiff was the fourth successive meeting of the 




QUEEN OF THE LILIES. AT ?IX YEARS NINE MONTHS OLD. 




IVINGTON ROSE AT SEVEN YEARS. 



202 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Royal society at which the Herefords came out in 
strong force, and with first-rate quality; indeed, 
they were generally allowed to be the leading breed 
in each case, and this notwithstanding the fact that 
large numbers of the best were being sold to Au- 
stralia and other countries. The breed was now 
growing rich in good showyard material, so that 
other good ones each year took the places of those 
exported. 

Hull and Bedford. — After four such successful 
Royal shows of first-class Herefords as these just 
mentioned, Hull was rather weak in comparison, 
being considered so far from their native county, 
but good animals were on view. In the aged bull 
class Provost, second to his sire Bachelor at Cardiff, 
where he was only about a week too old for the 
younger class, with the extra year's age now well 
won the leading prize. Second to him was the big 
bull Von Moltke, with wonderful depth and width 
in front, but not showing the square hindquarter 
and straight hind legs of the winner. In the three- 
year-olds Winter De Cote, bred at Wintercott, a 
bull of great scale and substance but wanting in 
condition, had an easy win in his class. He was a 
son of the Manchester Royal winner Leominster 3d, 
from the Wintercott Pink family. In the bull calf 
class a son of Winter De Cote called Student won 
first, and well sustained the honor of his sire. 

In the cow class Ivington Rose again won first, 
looking as fresh and as well as ever. In three-year- 
old heifers the Earl of Southesk's Desdemona, 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 203 

dauo-hter of the Manchester Koyal winner, won first, 
an/quite maintained her mother's reputation. In 
two-year-olds Philip Turner won both first and sec- 
ond. Exquisite, by Provost, rightly named, had 
first, and Satellite, a daughter of Bachelor second. 
At the Bedford meeting of 1874 the Herefords 
were larger in number than at Hull, being nearer 
the home county. In aged bulls Winter De Cote 
took first. He had been the winner m the three- 
year-old class at Hull. Then he wanted more time 
and condition; now with another year he came out 
fit a deep massive bull. Bachelor, the Cardiff 
winner, had second place. In two-year-old bulls the 
Showle Court herd produced an easy winner m Mr. 
Taylor's Tredegar. His sire. Mercury (3937), bred 
by Philip Turner, was a son of Franky by Walford. 
He had the appearance of making, when developed, 
a grand show animal. In the bull calf class Regu- 
late from the Adf orton herd had just as easy a win 
as Tredegar, looking also like making a great bull. 
In the cow class Mr. Thomas of St. Hillary, 
took first with Rosaline, one of his Cardiff Royal 
winners in the heifer class. Mr. Turner m two- 
year-old heifers was again first and second, this 
time with Verbena, by Provost, first, and Isabel, 
by Mercury and from a daughter of Bachelor, sec- 

The Dam of Old Anxiety Appears.— In heifer 
calves at Bedford Mr. Carwardine of Stocktonbury 
supplied the winner, Helena, by De Cote, a remark- 
ably good one as straight as a line from end to end, 




BEFORE THE DISPERSION OF 1901- 



Oopyright photo by Bustin 
-WM. PRICE OF THE VERN. 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
JOHN PRICE AND SOME OF HIS SHOWYARD TROPHIES. 



206 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

a real show heifer. Her dam, Eegina, was by Heart 
of Oak, a Monaughty-bred bull. Those who follow 
our story closely will again meet this charming 
heifer, the future dam of the great bull Anxiety. 

It thus appears that three grand animals made 
their first appearance in public at Bedford show: 
Tredegar, a champion winner many times ; Eegula- 
tor, the companion bull to Lord Wilton, after win- 
ning at the Bath and West of England sold to go to 
New Zealand; and Helena, one of Stocktonbury's 
greatest celebrities. 

The Taunton Show of 1875.— The Taunton Koyal 
of 1875 was an improvement on the Bedford 
show of the year previous, as that had been over 
the one at Hull the year before. Several celebrated 
Herefords were competitors. In aged bulls Mr. 
Edwards' Winter De Cote, now a long, deep and 
massive animal, took first prize for the third time 
at the Royal shows. He was a bull with plenty of 
scale, character and style and full of thick heavy 
natural flesh. Mr. H. J. Bailey's King of the Dale, 
a straight lengthy bull also of good scale and fairly 
good character, but lacking the substance and weight 
of flesh of the winner, was second. In two-year- 
olds Mr. Taylor's good bull and previous winner, 
Tredegar, took the lead. He had all the character- 
istics of a high-class Hereford bull, with nice color, 
character and style, and scored a very easy win. 

Lord Wilton as a Yearling. — In the yearling 
bull class at Taunton the prize was conceded to Mr. 
Tudge's Lord Wilton, a straight lengthy youngster 




HORACE 2D (4655) AT TWO YEARS— BRED BY J. PRICE, COURT HOUSE. 




GAUCI'S DRAWING OF LORD WILTON (4740) AT SEVEN YEARS TEN 

MONTHS. 



208 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

with wide top, first-class character, beautiful qual- 
ity and style. At the Bath and West of England 
meeting at Croydon a month before he had been 
very much fancied. His owner not being there, Mr. 
Thomas Duckham, the editor of the Hereford book, 
said to an Australian who desired to buy the bull, 
"I know Mr. Tudge very well, and I will telegraph 
for his price. ' ' A Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Lewis Lloyd 's 
agent, overheard this and as he related afterward 
he ran as fast as he could and wired: "How much 
for Lord Wilton?" Mr. Tudge happened to be in 
the house upon the receipt of the message, and at 
once replied: "150 guineas." As the boy went 
back with this reply he met Mr. Duckham 's mes- 
senger arriving with the same query as to price. 
But he w^as too late, the bull was sold. While Mr. 
Lloyd did not have the good fortune to reap his 
due reward as a result of this purchase, as appears 
further on, his representative is to be credited 
with having saved this afterwards celebrated sire 
to England and the United States. 

In Hereford cows Thomas Fenn won first, beating 
the prize cow of the year before, Mr. Thomas' Rosa- 
line. The winner. Lady Stanton, had scale, quality 
and character — a splendid Hereford cow well 
brought out. In heifers under three years, Mr. 
James, a south country Hereford breeder, won first 
prize with Eosebud, a remarkably neat level heifer 
nicely marked. A very pretty little heifer, she had 
been second the year before at the Royal to Mr. 
P. Turner's Verbena, but she now turned the tables 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 209 

upon her larger opponent. In yearling heifers 
Carwardine 's Helena came to the fore again, an un- 
doubted winner. She now had splendid character 
and quality, was exceptionally level and in fine 
bloom. She was truly called ' ' the beautiful Helena. ' ' 
Second to her was Mr. W. Taylor's Cherry, by Mer- 
cury. In heifer calves Mr. Edwards' Mabel, by 
Winter De Cote, was first. 

Big Good Classes at Birmingham. — The Here- 
fords were out in full strength at the. Birmingham 
Royal of 1876. In the aged bulls Mr. Taylor's 
Tredegar was looking remarkably well, with his wide 
table-back and his body well let down at both ends. 
With his nice markings, character and style, he well 
deserved his third Royal first. Second to him was 
Warren Evans' Von Moltke 2d. He had been alter- 
nately scoring first and second places with the sec- 
ond of the previous year, Mr. Bailey's King of the 
Dale. They were bulls of very different types. Von 
Moltke 2d was extraordinarily wide and good in his 
forehand, exceptionally so in his brisket and over 
his shoulders and chine, but he was not so square 
and good in his hindquarters, nor so straight in his 
hind legs as the first, nor the third winner, Mr. 
Thomas Myddleton's Baron 4th. However, he was 
the biggest in his girth, measuring 9 feet 2 inches. 

In the three-year-old bulls Mr. Thomas' Horace 
2d, a bull of character and quality, had first prize. 
He was by Horace (3877), but had not the length 
of some of his opponents. He was "well grown 
together," however. Second to him was Lord 



210 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Compton, a son of Ivington Rose, but not as well 
filled out as his dam. The next bull class was well 
contested, Mr. W. Taylor's Thoughtful now being 
put first. He was a long deep level bull with great 
substance and wealth of flesh. Second to him was 
Sir Edward, a son of Winter De Cote, that had 
been placed first at the Bath and West of England 
a month before. Now it was reversed. Mr. Tay- 
lor's prize bull of the year before, Taunton, had 
meantime given way to Sir Edward, a bull of nice 
style and character but with not quite the depth, 
length and substance of the other. 

In the cow class at Birmingham a remarkably 
level good cow from Adforton, Mr. Tudge's Rose- 
bud, by Sir Thomas (2228), carried first prize. She 
was a long dark red with splendid character and 
first-rate quality, a true type of a Hereford cow. 
Second to her was Mr. Thomas' famous Rosaline, 
still a good-looking cow. Three times she had been 
a first prize Royal winner, as a cow at Bedford, as 
a heifer at Cardiff, and as one of two offspring at 
Bristol. She had been second to Lady Stanton in 
1875 and was now second to Rosebud, truly a goodt 
career. * 

In three-year-olds Helena again headed her class. 
This was her third Royal win, and well she deserved | 
it, so marked was her splendid character, style and 
touch. Warren Evans came second with Lady \ 
Blanche, a daughter of his Von Moltke 2d. Like 
her sire she was grand in front, with thick wide 
big forehand, broad chine and top, but also like her 




ANXIKTY C5188J AT NINE MONTHS. 




HELENA AT TWO YEARS OLD— DAM OF ANXIETY (5188). 



212 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

sire falling away behind. In two-year-old heifers 
Mrs. Edwards was first with Mabel, a winner of 
1875, a heifer of nice character, style and quality. 
In the next class Mrs. Edwards had two splendid 
yearling heifers both, like the previous winner, 
daughters of Winter De Cote. These were Beatrice 
and Leonora, both of whose dams were by Tomboy. 
The judges gave first to Beatrice, but the other was 
the general favorite. They were two grand heifers, 
Leonora subsequently growing into one of the sen- 
sational show cows of her time. 

Anxiety Appears at Liverpool.— There was a 
great show of Herefords both in number and qual- 
ity at the Liverpool Eoyal of 1877. In the aged 
bulls Tredegar came out again in grand form. He 
looked well at Birmingham, but was still better at 
Liverpool, being now exceptionally wide and square, 
with his brisket almost touching the ground. He 
was called *'a fine type of a first-class Hereford 
show bull.** Horace 2d was his only opponent. He 
had been a first prize winner at Birmingham, but 
was now fairly beaten. The winner in three-year- 
olds here was another of Mr. Taylor's sons of Mer- 
cury (the sire of Tredegar), Thoughtful, the bull 
that had occupied the same position in his class the 
year before and had again defeated the Wintercott 
bull, Sir Edward. In the next class, that of two- 
year-old bulls, the Bath and West of England judg- 
ing was completely altered; the winner there was 
not mentioned at Liverpool, and Victor, a son of 
Winter De Cote, was given first prize. He had only 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 213 

received H. C. at the Bath and West and Telescope, 
unnoticed there, was placed second here. In bull 
calves the first prize at both the Bath and West of 
England and the Royal was given to Anxiety, by 
Longhorns, and a son of Carwardine's celebrated 
Helena. Like his dam he had splendid quality, a 
beautiful coat and a touch as good as could be 
wished. His head, though, was faulted for the 
horns going up too much. However, it was con- 
ceded that he was well entitled to his place in this 
class. Second to him was another from Stockton- 
bury, The Sultan, by the same sire. He had not 
quite the quality and touch of his half-brother. 
Third prize went to Field Marshal from the Coston 
Hall herd, an offshoot of the Adforton stock. He 
was by Cannon Ball, grandson of Sir Benjamin. 

In the breeding cow class two champions of re- 
nown met — Rosebud from Adforton, a daughter of 
Sir Thomas, that had been the winner at Birming- 
ham as well as a champion of the county shows, 
and the hitherto unbeaten Helena from Stockton- 
bury. It was of course a matter of opinion, but 
Hereford men generally agreed with the judging. 
Rosebud was long and level, a rich dark red, nice- 
ly marked, wide-backed and straight as a line from 
head to tail. Helena had more depth in front, with 
nice flesh evenly and well laid on, but was not quite 
a match for her antagonist. The third prize 
Giantess, rightly named, for she had very great 
scale, was evenly made for so big an animal and 
had first-rate quality and character. In three-year- 



214 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

old heifers Mrs. Edwards' Mabel for the third time 
won Royal honors, though it was quite a matter of 
choice between the three tops. A good-looking 
daughter of Ivington Eose was placed second, and 
the Adforton heifer Beatrice, winner of several first 
prizes at local and county shows, was given third. 
The latter had splendid character and perhaps bet- 
ter style than either. 

In yearling heifers Mrs. Edwards again exhibited 
Leonora and Beatrice. The latter had been placed 
first the year before, but Leonora was undoubtedly 
the better now. A grand heifer she was, with plenty 
of scale, as level as possible, and with nice charac- 
ter. In heifer calves Mrs. Edwards was again first 
with Beatrice 2d from the same dam as the other 
Beatrice. Second went to Mr. Taylor for Lanca- 
shire Lass. In a new class for best cow with two 
offspring the prize was won by Mr. Taylor with 
Hazel, a twelve-year-and-ten-month-old cow, with 
her two sons, Taunton, by Triumph 2d, and Trede- 
gar 3d, by Tredegar. Mr. Thomas Nott of Letton 
took second prize with a daughter of Chieftain 3d. 

The Bristol Winners.— The show of 1878 was 
held at Bristol. Herefords were not so well repre- 
sented here as at Birmingham and Liverpool, but 
many very good ones supported well the honor of 
the breed. In the aged bulls Mr. Taylor's Thought- 
ful, a son of Mercury, by Jupiter, the sire of Trede- 
gar, satisfactorily filled his half brother's place. 
This was his third first prize Eoyal win; he was 
first as a two-year-old at Birmingham, as a three- 




THOUGHTFUL (5083) AT THREE YEARS TEN MONTHS— BRED BY 
TV. TAYLOR, SHOWLE COURT. 




GRATBFUL (4622> AT FIVE YBAES— BBBD BY AARON ROGERS. 



216 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

year-old at Liverpool, and now at Bristol was win- 
ner in the aged class. At the Bath and West of 
England meeting a month before he had to take 
second place to Aaron Rogers' Grateful, which not 
only won first in his class but the championship also, 
as best bull of all breeds, defeating the great Short- 
horn champion Sir Arthur Ingram. Thoughtful, 
through his grandsire Jupiter, was a grandson of 
Walford, and on his dam's side, through Sir Frank 
and Sir Thomas, he was the grandson of Sir David, 
so that he carries the blood of perhaps the two 
greatest sires of the breed in his veins. Horace 2d 
had again to take second place to Thoughtful, as 
at Bath the year before. He had not the great 
length and substance of the winner, but was a thick 
wide good bull. 

In yearling bulls the Liverpool winner had to give 
way to John Price's Arthur, son of Horace 2d. He 
was a heavy-fleshed deep young bull, with a curly 
coat and a mellow thick hide, and a touch that all 
breeders liked. Anxiety, the beautiful Helena's son, 
had the same nice touch, but he had not at this time 
the same bloom about him that he had at Liverpool, 
so he. must be content with second place. In bull 
calves Arkwright's Conjuror, by Concord, his dam 
from the Ivington Lass family at Hampton Court, 
a straight nice lengthy bull with true Hereford char- 
acter, carried the first prize, second going to Stock- 
tonbury on Lord Oxford, son of Longhorns. Third 
fell to Wintercott for Royalist's son, Master But- 
terfly, out of Winter De Cote. The reserve num- 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 217 

ber was a nice young bull, King of the Roses from 
Adforton, his dam Roseleaf being a daughter of 
Rosebud, the Liverpool and Birmingham Royal win- 
ner. 

In the cow class Lady Blanche had first prize. 
She had been second to Helena at the Royal and the 
Bath and West of England, and was a daughter of 
Von Moltke, a Cardiff winner in 1872, which she 
resembled, being very big and wide in front but 
not square and good enough behind. The second 
prize went to the Earl of Coventry's Giantess, bred 
at Adforton. She had stood third to Rosebud and 
Helena at Liverpool, and was quite a contrast to the 
first prize cow here, being very big, as her name 
implied, and square and good in her quarters 
While she lacked the flesh of the winner, the latter 
had too much of it for a breeding cow. Her sire 
Sir Roger (4133) and her grandsire, Battenhall' 
were both sons of Sir Thomas, but the inbreeding 
certainly did not interfere with her growth nor her 
constitution. She looked the typical breeder which 
she later on proved to be. Her calf then, a daugh- 
ter, Golden Treasure, and her next calf. Good Boy 
each scored three first prize Royal wins and she 
herself with two offspring won first prize at the 
York Royal. 

In the class for heifers above two and not ex- 
ceeding three, Mrs. Edwards' marvelously good 
heifers Leonora and Beatrice gained first and sec- 
ond prizes. There was now no question as to which 
was the better of the two, for Leonora had developed 



218 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

into a wonderfully good one and well carried the 
palm. They were both bred alike, their sire being 
Winter De Cote and both their dams being daugh- 
ters of Sir Thomas' son, Tomboy. Their sire, Win- 
ter De Cote, was a son of Leominster 3d, first prize 
yearling bull at Manchester, he by another Tomboy 
(bred by Mr. Monkhouse), also a son of Sir Thomas, 
Leominster 3d's dam being Primrose, by Adforton 
(1839). He also was a grandson of Sir David. 
Thomas Edwards of Wintercott was a wonderfully 
good judge of mating, and certainly worked out an 
extraordinary herd foundation at Wintercott. In 
heifer calves Hampton Court furnished two good 
ones, in a daughter of Ivington Boy, Gaylass 4th, 
the first prize heifer, and Abigail 2d, the third prize 
one. A heifer from Showle Court, Empress, by 
Tredegar, was placed between. 

The Hereford Herd Book Society here gave a new 
prize for the best cow with two of her offspring. 
In good competition W. Thomas with his old first 
prize winner Rosaline, with progeny by Horace 2d, 
the bull calf Goldfinder and heifer calf Rosaline 2d, 
won first. Cherry, by De Cote, from Stocktonbury, 
with two smart heifers took second. 

The Kilburn International Afloat.— In 1879 came 
the Royal Agricultural Society's International 
meeting at Kilburn and "the deluge." Visitors 
there had good cause to remember it, particularly 
the lady visitors, for if they stepped the least bit 
off the plank into the mud, which was from four 
inches to four feet deep, a boot was left in it. 




Sir. James Rankin I EdmrdWd 



220 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Planks had to be laid in all directions. From 200 
to 500 men and 240 horses were employed for days, 
starting in relays from 2 a. m. to 9 p. m. to keep 
the yard passable, the cost in all, labor and material, 
being £3,329 extra outlay. So Kilburn was not a 
financial success owing to the almost incessant rain. 
The only fine weather was a part of the day when 
Queen Victoria paid her visit. Then there was a 
little ''Royal weather." 

In the aged bull class Aaron Rogers' Grateful 
was awarded first prize, and later was made cham- 
pion bull over all. He was a magnificent animal, 
wonderfully deep and good in front and over his 
top. His old opponent. Thoughtful, had improved 
very much with the extra year's age and ran him 
rather close, being very long and level and, if any- 
thing, a little squarer and better around the tail and 
hindquarters. Grateful, like Thoughtful, had the 
blood of both the great bulls and much nearer, for 
his sire. Sir Thomas, was the grandson of Sir David, 
and his dam. Lady Lizzie, was a daughter of Jupi- 
ter (3191), grandson of Walford. They were a pair 
of grand bulls. 

Lord Wilton and a Blundering- Bailiff. — In this 
class there was another bull shown in store condi- 
tion and with a big "gathered" knee. Mr. Lewis 
Lloyd's blundering bailiff had sent him there in 
condition quite unfit, apparently expecting to get 
a prize merely because the bull had won before, and 
because his predecessor in the bailiff's office, who 
had died rather suddenly the year before, had 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 221 

thought SO highly of him. This bull was afterwards 
the invincil)le Lord Wilton. This farm bailiff was 
anxious to sell him, and asked Tom Carwardine 
what he would take to exchange a yearling bull for 
his. Mr. Carwardine asked, "What will you give 
me to do so?" The bailiff replied, "Five pounds." 
Carwardine then said, "You shall have him." The 
master of Stocktonbury afterwards said, in tell- 
ing the story, "But I never had the cheek to ask 
him for the £5. I just stood him a bottle of cham- 
pagne. " And that is how Mr. Carwardine really 
secured the champion of England, one of the makers 
of Hereford history.* 

Anxiety Heads the Two-Year-Olds. — In the two- 
year-old bulls Anxiety now got back to his old 
form, looking wonderfully well, and won first prize 
in a small but good class, Tom Myddleton's son of 
The Grove 3d, Hartington (5358), being given sec- 
ond prize. He was a very straight good young bull, 
only wanting a little more condition. He had nice 
Hereford style and character. The third place was 
well filled by Thomas' Goldfinder, which had been 
put before Anxiety a month before at the Exeter 
Bath and West of England. In yearling bulls J. H. 
Arkwright's Bristol winner, Conjuror, kept his 
place, winning first prize here and looking well. 
In bull calves Coomassie from Wintercott won first, 
and Thomas Fenn's son of Grateful, Downton Boy, 

*It is related of Geo. Morgan that while dickering- with Mr. Car- 
wardine for the purchase of Anxiety he said: "Now, Master, sell 
me this young bull and go and buy you a good bull." 

"Which is that?" queried Stocktonbury. "Why, Lord Wilton," 
replied Morgan. "An' he did it," George used to add. 



222 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

second, with Tom Myddleton's Victor, by Harting- 
ton, third. 

Leonora, The Invincible. — In the cow class the 
invincible Leonora won first honors and the cham- 
pion prize of £50 as best Hereford female. She was 
doubtless the best animal of any breed in the show- 
yard. Proving not to be in calf she was afterwards 
exhibited at the Christmas fat stock shows at Bir- 
mingham and London, at both of which places she 
won all the championship and extra prizes she could 
show for, taking all of them it was possible for 
her to win against all breeds. During her career 
the value of her first prizes and championships 
amounted to £650. In fact, she was never beaten 
except once ; that was when her companion Beatrice 
was put before her at the Birmingham Royal as a 
heifer calf. 

In the cow-and-two-off spring class Carwardine 
won first with the same three with which he was 
second at Bristol — Cherry, by De Cote (3060), and 
her daughters Plum and Apple Blossom, all Car- 
wardine-bred. The Earl of Coventry was second 
with the Adforton cow Giantess, by Sir Roger, and 
her two daughters, Britannia and Golden Treas- 
ure. In bull calves Herbert Hall's Dale Tredegar, 
by Tredegar, very rightly had first prize. His dam 
was by King of the Dale. J. H. Arkwright with 
Broadward, by Ivington Boy, was second. Third 
went to Kimbolton from Stocktonbury and the re- 
serve to Lord Kilburn, both being sons of Rodney 
(6907). 




LEONORA AT TWO YEARS ELEVEN MONTHS— BRED BY MRS. EDWARDS, 
WINTBRCOTT. 




I l l I I JJUJ 

GIANTESS AT ELEVEN YEARS— BRED BY WM. TUDGE, ADFORTON. 



224 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Buying Prize-Winners for the States.— In breed- 
ing cows a remarkably good one, Myddleton's 
Nanette, won first prize. Bred by the exhibitor she 
was a daughter of Baron 4th, a dark red cow with a 
splendid coat and skin, thick and mellow to the 
touch. She had a wonderful weight of flesh all over, 
with the appearance of a strong constitution. She 
was sold to George Morgan for Mr. Culbertson of 
Illinois. The second prize. Perfection, from Win- 
tercott, was a neat straight cow, but not equal to 
Nanette. She had a nice bull calf by her side. 
Third prize was given to Taylor's Modesty, a 
daughter of Tredegar, and a level nice breeding cow. 
In three-year-old heifers Mr. Arkwright's Gaylass 
4th had to give way to one she had beaten before, 
Thomas Fenn's Downton Eose, a heifer that had 
improved immensely and looked here like going on 
to do still more. She had the same year won many 
prizes; she was also sold to Mr. Culbertson. Mr. 
Arkwright had to stand aside with his last year's 
winner, Antoinette, now taking second place, Piatt 
with Lady 3d, a daughter of Horace, gaining first. 
Arkwright had the first in the next class, however, 
with one of his Pearls — Pearl 3d, by Ivington Boy. 
Carwardine was second with a daughter of Anxiety 
(5188) called Juliet, from Rosaline by De Cote. 
Thomas Fenn was third with Countess of the Teme 
by Romulus, a granddaughter of his Lady of the 
Teme. 

The year after the water-logged Kilburn Inter- 
national the show went to the far north, at Carlisle. 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 225 

The year before Kilburn it had been held in the 
extreme south, at Bristol. Its migratory meetings 
thus gave all England a chance to see the show in 
turn. The weather at Carlisle, as at Kilburn, was 
very much against the show, but the inhabitants in 
the north do not seem to mind wet much. More- 
over, better precautions were taken. One did not 
hear of any lost ladies' shoes there, although the 
fair sex attended each day in large numbers. "With 
their waterproof coats, short skirts, and tight-laced 
strong boots, they successfully defied the Border 
weather. 

Considering they were so far from home the 
"white faces" mustered fairly strong and with 
quality unimpaired. In the aged bulls there was 
the same pair that had been first and second before, 
Grateful again taking the first. He looked remark- 
ably well, almost deeper in front than before, for 
his brisket now touched the ground, and although 
seven years old he seemed to have furnished up. 
Being very active he looked larger and bigger in 
his hindquarters than before. Thoughtful took sec- 
ond as at Kilburn, and was looking marvelously 
fit. He carried out both ends wonderfully well, but 
was scarcely equal to his opponent in style, which 
was one of Grateful 's strong points. Third was 
that good sire Hartington. Certain English breed- 
ers always claimed him as the best of Grove 3d's 
sons. He was a big lengthy bull for his age at this 
show; he was two years younger than Thoughtful, 
and wanted a little more time to mature. These 



226 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

were truly three grand animals to be shown in one 
class. 

In two-year-olds Mr. Arkwright had an easy win 
with Conjuror. In the next class Mrs. Edwards' 
two Wintercott bulls had first and second ; both were 
sons of Royalist (4921). The winner was Presi- 
dent from the Plum family, a straight lengthy good 
bull. A son of Horace (1387) called Horace 4th, 
was third, and Taylor's Trafalgar was reserve. 

Historic Youngsters at Derby. — We now near the 
dawn of the great American demand upon Here- 
fordshire. Premonitory signs of the approaching 
invasion of the trans-Atlantic buyers had already 
been in evidence, as witnessed by Morgan's pur- 
chases of 1880. During 1881 the pot began to boil, 
and as we come to the younger classes at the Derby 
Royal of that year we run into names that have a 
very familiar sound in the United States. 

The Derby show was not equal in the number of 
Herefords to the three preceding shows, but some 
first-class specimens competed, particularly in the 
bull calf and heifer classes. Among the aged bulls 
the veteran Thoughtful had again to put up with 
second honors, Philip Turner's level even stylish 
bull Pirate, by Corsair (5271), taking first prize. 
Thoughtful was beginning to show signs of age and 
extended feeding. In two-year-olds the 1880 posi- 
tions were changed; Taylor's Trafalgar, that was 
only reserve at Carlisle, now took first and the win- 
ner there, Horace 4th, took second, as at the Bath 
and West of England at Tunbridge Wells. In year- 



228 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

lings Rees Keene won first and second with Reward 
and Return, two capital youngsters sired by Lord 
Waterford (6045). 

Wilton Blood to the Fore. — In the bull calf 
class there were many very superior animals. Such 
was the general opinion of all Hereford breed- 
ers. The first prize went to Carwardine on Sir Bar- 
tie Frere, with his rich dark coat and splendid touch. 
He had been first also at the Bath and West in a 
good class. His half brother Romeo took second. 
Both were from Stocktonbury, both were sons of 
Lord Wilton, and both were destined to grace the 
Shadeland pastures of Adams Earl of Indiana. 
Philip Turner's afterwards famous Rudolph here 
occupied third place. 

In the cow class Taylor's Modesty now came to 
the front. She had not previously been higher than 
third, but now took the premier position. Fenn's 
Maid of the Teme was second, and Myddleton's 
Sally was third. In yearling heifers, the strongest 
female class, there were several remarkably good 
ones. Carwardine 's Pretty Face, a daughter of 
Anxiety, and a pretty one all over, a wonderfully 
taking heifer, was given first. She had a beautiful 
head and well-nigh perfect lines throughout. She 
became Mr. Culbertson's property. Second to her 
was Taylor's Lorna Doone, also an admirable heifer. 

The heifer calves were also a splendid lot. Here, 
as in the bull calves, two Lord Wiltons from Stock- 
tonbury were placed first and second. This famous 
pair, Venus and Henrietta, were of quite different 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 229 

type from the others and were easy winners. They 
were afterwards bought by Tom Clark for Mr. Earl. 

Garfield and Henrietta. — At Reading in 1882 Mr. 
Piatt's Horace 4th came to the front. He now had 
great wealth of flesh and a nice touch. Lord Coven- 
try's Fisherman was second. He was a big one 
weighing here over 2,600 pounds. Trafalgar, the 
Derby winner, was third. In two-year-olds Aaron 
Rogers' Archibald, that had been unplaced as a 
yearling, headed the line. He had now that tre- 
mendous development of forehand that afterwards 
made him one of the wonders of his time. John 
Price's Garfield, a bull of strong constitution and 
substance, was first in the yearlings over Carwar- 
dine's Chippendale, and was bought by Mr. Clark 
for Earl & Stuart, subsequently rising to fame in 
America as a bull-getter. 

In the breeding cow class Mr. Taylor was first 
with his Derby winner Modesty, by Tredegar. She 
had a new-born calf with her, and well kept up her 
previous year's prestige. The second prize winner, 
Mermaid 2d, bred by Mr. Stephen Robinson of Lyn- 
hales, was a daughter of Regulus (4076), a level 
deep cow of great substance, but lacking the style 
and character of the winner. In three-year-old 
heifers Mr. Taylor again won first, this time with 
the wonderfully level heifer Lorna Doone, by 
Horace, her dam being by Mercury (3967), the sire 
of Tredegar. Second went to Philip Turner's Sil- 
via, a heifer of great substance, level, and with 
first-rate character. It was merely a matter of 



230 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

opinion as to wliich was the better of the two heif- 
ers. Silvia with her nice curly coat was put first 
when they met at Newport in the autumn. 

In two-year-olds the Stocktonbury herd took firs 
with Henrietta, a daughter of Lord Wilton. She 
had been second to her half-sister Venus at Derby. 
Both were bought for America. Allen Hughes' 
Modesty, by Commander, was second to Henrietta. 
The yearling heifers were a strong class. Major 
Ashton's Princess, by Marquis (6057), was placed 
at its head, as she was at all the leading shows of 
the year, the second going into Cornwall on Duchess 
2d, a daughter of John Price's Grand Duke (5342). 
Carwardine was third with Venus 2d, by Lord Wil- 
ton. 

In breeding cows with two offspring Robert Hall 
won first with Lovely, by Preceptor, and a pair of 
remarkably nice twin heifer calves by Lord Wilton. 
The dam and the calves had first-class character 
and style. The Earl of Coventry's Giantess won 
second honors with her calves Britannia and Golden 
Treasure. 

Light Show at York.— The next meeting was at 
York in 1883. The weather there was much more 
favorable than it had been for several years pre- 
vious, but being so far from their native county 
the Hereford exhibits were not so numerous. In the 
aged bulls there were but two entries, the Earl of 
Coventry's Fisherman and Eogers' Archibald. The 
first prize was given to Fisherman, which just pre- 
viously had won the first at the Bath and West of 



tl 




WASHINGTON (8152) AT TWO YEARS^BRED BY A. E. HUGHES. 




" I II " " 

BEATRICE AT TWO YEARS ELEVEN MONTHS— BRED BY MRS. EDWARDS. 



232 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

England and had been second at the Royal meeting 
at Reading the year before. He was a bull of great 
scale and had a double cross of the two big bulls of 
by-gone years, Walford and Sir David. In two- 
year-olds Mr. Arkwright won with Rose Cross, by 
Conjuror, first at Bristol and Kilburn; his dam. 
Rosebud, by Sir Thomas, had been first prize cow at 
Birmingham and Liverpool. He was a long deep 
dark red bull, wonderfully level in his lines. Sec- 
ond was awarded to the straight lengthy Chippen- 
dale, by Lord Wilton. In the bull calf class, a large 
one by the way, Carwardine's Monarch, by Lord 
Wilton, which had been passed over at the Here- 
fordshire meeting, was now placed first. He was a 
big straight good-topped one with plenty of style, 
character and quality, looking better than the two 
that had previously been placed before him — Wash- 
ington, by Rudolph, and Albany, by Lord Wilton, 
now second and third. 

In breeding cows Taylor's Modesty had first prize 
and another entry from Showle, Adelaide, was sec- 
ond. Of the in-calf heifers Allen Hughes was ad- 
judged to have the best in Modesty, by Commander 
(4452). William Tudge was second with Elsie, by 
Downton Grand Duke (5878) from Mermaid 2d, by 
Regulus. Myddleton was third with Lady Mary. 
In two-year-olds Robert Hall won first with Doro- 
thea, by Lord Wilton. F. Piatt was second with 
Prettymaid 4th, by Hartington (5358). In year- 
ling heifers Frederick Piatt won first with the well 
made, stylish Primrose 7th, also by Hartington. A. 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 233 

P. Turner with Portia, by The Grove 3d, was sec- 
ond. Thomas Fenn with Downton Beauty, by Down- 
ton Boy, was third, and the entire class was H. C. 
or commended. 

The next was the best class of the meeting — cows 
with two offspring. Giantess, now shown with the 
splendid heifer Golden Treasure and the great 
young bull Good Boy, had first prize, and a wonder- 
ful trio they were. Second went to Eobert Hall's 
Lovely, the last year's winner, seen now with one 
of the Eeading winners, Theodora, by Lord "Wil- 
ton, and the young bull Lord Ashton, by Chancellor. 
The third prize was won by William Tudge's Rose- 
leaf, by Lord Hythe, her dam being Rosebud, by 
Sir Thomas, with the young bull Prince Rose, a 
prize-winner at Reading, and a bull calf Leinthall, 
by Auctioneer (5194). 

The Great Shrewsbury Show of 1884.— Shrews- 
bury is in the adjoining county to what is called the 
home of the Hereford; many and many a good 
Hereford has been bred around Shrewsbury and in 
the surrounding region, particularly during the late 
Lord Berwick's time when Walford, his sons, and 
grandsons were at Cronkhill. Then there were 
Meires of Eyton-on-Severn, Hill of Golding, and 
other noted old-time breeders. Indeed there are 
still some capital herds in that district, as has been 
proved at the shows of the present day. The 
Shrewsbury Royal of 1884 was well supported, the 
principal breeders sending their best animals to 
compete, and the entries numbering 144. 



234 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Archibald— "A Clever Cross."— In the senior 
bull class Aaron Rogers' massive Archibald with 
his extraordinary development of forehand was 
sent to the top over his old antagonist Fisherman. 
Archibald had more width even than his grandsire 
Grateful, but he did not exceed him in the depth of 
his brisket. In both cases they almost touched the 
ground. Archibald's sire, DoUey, and his dam. Miss 
Chance, were not really good animals themselves, 
but they mated well. There were Grateful as the 
sire of the dam, and Stanway as sire of the gran- 
dam, both grand show animals, and on Dolley's side 
were the grandam Lady Blanche and Von Moltke 
with their wide deep forehands to blend with 
Grateful's and Stanway 's straight tops and good 
hindquarters; between them all they made a great 
show bull of Archibald. 

"William Tudge, late of Leinthall, tells of visiting 
Mr. Rogers' farm with a view towards buying 
Archibald, but upon seeing his sire and dam he 
decided not to make an offer, remarking that one of 
his progenitors ''had an exceptionally good point 
where the other was deficient; a clever cross, I 
thought it." This bull, as mentioned elsewhere, was 
afterwards brought to America by J. 0. Curry and 
sold to C. K. Parmelee for $6,000. Fisherman, the 
Earl of Coventry's bull, had scale and gave the im- 
pression of being more masculine, his great size 
and immense substance showing a strong constitu- 
tion. He was a favorite with many for the prize, 
but Archibald was a thorough showyard bull. In 




ri II II n 

FISHERMAN (5913) AT FIVE YEARS TWO MONTHS— BRED BY T. ROGERS, 

COXALL. 




ARCHIBALD ^t;l"J(M— j;uj:i i I'.V AAKoN l;( iGloitS— Photo by Bustln from 

painting. 



236 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the next class, bulls under three years, Fisherman's 
son. Good Boy, told what a good sire can do with a 
good dam. Good Boy had both and well deserved 
the first prize that was given him in his class, for 
like his sire and dam he had great scale and sub- 
stance. Father and son each weighed about 2,600 
pounds, but the son was the better show bull of the 
two. The second prize bull here was Arkwright's 
Rose Cross, a nice level good quality bull, as also 
was Tudge's Prince Eose. 

In two-year-old bulls, Allen Hughes' Washing- 
ton, by Rudolph, headed the list, at that time show- 
ing a level smooth top. He had a dip in the middle 
of his back when seen the previous year, but this 
had now disappeared. Albany, from Aaron Rogers ' 
herd, a son of Lord Wilton, was second, being a 
straight good bull but not showing the substance of 
the winner. 

Maidstone and Anxiety Arthur. — The yearling 
bull class of twenty-one entries at Shrewsbury de- 
veloped a stubborn contest and brought into the 
limelight a bull destined to almost unprecedented 
Royal honors. There were a lot of good ones, and 
the judges had a tough fight over the first prize, 
one going strongly for Taylor's bull Maidstone, an- 
other going equally as strong for the Stocktonbury 
bull Anxiety Arthur. Maidstone was a lengthy 
straight good-looking youngster that had already 
won at the Herefordshire and the Bath and West 
of England. He was got by Franklin, one of Lord 
Wilton's best sons, his dam being by Tredegar. 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 237 

The other judge was for the Carwardine bull, a 
son of President Arthur, his dam by Anxiety, which 
was a son of the beautiful Helena; he was a thick 
square bull, exceptionally big, strong and wide over 
his shoulders and chine and along his back, though 
he had not the long straight hindquarters of his 
opponent. Each of the judges pleaded strongly in 
favor of his favorite, first the one and then the other 
taking the third judge by the arm and dilating upon 
the good points. Finally after a very long discus- 
sion the third man, Mr. Featherstonhaugh, a fine 
type of the Irish gentleman, gave his vote in Maid- 
stone's favor, thus starting Mr. Taylor's celebrated 
bull upon a career that has few parallels in show- 
yard annals. William Tudge's Leinthall, by Auc- 
tioneer from Roseleaf, was unanimously placed 
third.* 



*In a letter to the author Mr. Tudge gives the details of this 
somewhat amusing incident thus: 

"At York in 1883 there had been, as usual, some little differ- 
ences of opinion as to the decisions in some of the classes. I 
happened to overhear an Irish gentleman, a Mr. Featherstonhaugh, 
making what I thought very sensible remarks about the judging, 
adding: 'Had I been officiating I should have given some of the 
prizes differently.' I said to him: 'If you were asked to judge 
at next year's Royal, would you do so?' He considered a moment 
and then said: 'Yes, certainly I will.' I had been asked by a 
member of the council just previously to nominate one or two for 
next year, so I gave his name as one, and he was chosen to serve 
with two 'old hands,' Mr. Henry Haywood and Mr. Adam Lee, both 
men of very strong opinions, and who were continually differing 
in opinion. So Mr. Featherstonhaugh had not an easy time at 
Shrewsbury the following year. 

"It was in the yearling class that they differed most. Hay- 
wood's was a straight, lengthy calf, very even from end to end. 
Lee's was a thick, blocky one, exceptionally good and wide over 
the shoulders and top, but short. The two bulls very much re- 
sembled their two judges, for Lee had a very big, strong chest 
and was stoutly built. Haywood was three or four inches taller. 
The Irish gentleman had not a happy time. First one would take 
him by the arm to his favorite and then the other. Eventually 
he decided with Haywood, and Maidstone had first; Anxiety by 
Arthur second; Leinthall third. Mr. Featherstonhaugh, a very 
gentlemanly man, came to me at the ringside after the decision, 
saying: 'Nevermore will I become one of three judges.' " 



238 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

The breeding cows made up a large class, but 
Lord Coventry's Golden Treasure, a daughter of 
Giantess and a very wide deep massive young cow, 
had an easy win, although a lot of splendid cows 
were behind her. Arkwright's Pearl 3d, by Iving- 
ton Boy, was second. The York winner, Taylor's 
Modesty, was third and Robert Hall's Eoyal winner 
Lovely reserve and H. C. In the next class Lovely 
did better, her two daughters by Lord Wilton, 
Dorothea and Theodora, being first and second in 
the ring for heifers under three years. • In two- 
year-olds Allen Hughes' Sunflower was first as be- 
fore. In yearlings H. W. Taylor had an easy win 
with Vanity 7th, a remarkaljly good heifer by 
Franklin, Lord Coventry's Plum Jam, by Fisher- 
man, being second. 

The two next were exciting classes. In a contest 
between four two-year-old heifers Carwardine's 
daughters of Lord Wilton, Henrietta, Eosa, Luna 
and Althea won. In the young class of four three 
splendid lots were shown by A. P. Turner, John 
Price and Stephen Robinson, the prizes being given 
in the order named. 

This Shrewsbury show of Herefords was won- 
derfully prolific of good animals, particularly when 
the number of very good ones that had been sent 
abroad during the preceding two years was con- 
sidered. 

Prizes at Preston.— The Preston Royal of 1885 
was not so well sustained. In the aged bull 
class there were only two entries, Good Boy and 




GOLDEN TREASURE AT FIVE YEARS— BRED BY THE EARL OF COVENTRY. 



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MAIDSTONE (8875) AT FOUR YEARS THREE MONTHS— BRED BY H. W. 
TAYLOR. SHOWLE COURT. 



240 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

John Price's Hotspur, by Eegulus. Hotspur had 
perhaps the best head for a Hereford bull, but 
aside from that Good Boy probably had the advan- 
tage. Hotspur won. In the class for under-three- 
years another Hotspur, son of Lord Wilton, was 
the only exhibit. His winning was pretty well a 
certainty which probably accounted for absence of 
competition. The three bulls were all of Adforton 
blood, two having Adforton sires and the other 
having an Adforton dam. 

In two-year-old bulls Maidstone, the Shrewsbury 
winner, very deservedly took first prize. He had 
plenty of scale and quality, clearly now the making 
of a grand bull. In yearlings the Herefordshire 
member, James Eankin, M. P., had first prize for an 
entry of nice character and straight top, but not any 
too much in substance. The second prize bull, 
Arkwright's Upper Crust, had more admirers. 

In breeding cows Golden Treasure again took 
first, looking exceedingly handsome and well deserv- 
ing her honors. Taylor's Rosamond, a first prize 
cow in the ''offspring" class at Shrewsbury, had 
second prize. F. I. Gough's high-priced Stockton- 
bury cow Mabelle, by Lord Wilton, was third, an- 
other Lord Wilton from Stocktonbury, Flo, being 
reserve and H. C. In three-year-old heifers Allen 
Hughes' Sunflower was again first, Rankin's Grace 
Wilton, by Lord Wilton, second, Gougli with Rosa, 
by Lord Wilton, third, and Rankin reserve and H. 
C. with another daughter of Lord Wilton. In cows- 
and-two-offspring the Leinthall herd furnished both 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 241 

first and second in a very strong good class. Eebe, 
by Napoleon (5476), dam by Cannon Ball (4399), 
with her two nice daughters of Auctioneer, Rowena 
and New Year's Gift, was first and Roseleaf with 
her capital son, Prince Rose, and a first-class daugh- 
ter, Rose of Leinthall, by Auctioneer, was second, 
Robert Hall, with his previous winner. Lovely, this 
time with a pair of twin bulls, Sir Julian and Sir 
Julius, had third.* 

In two-year-old heifers Taylor's Vanity 7th, by 
Franklin, by Lord "Wilton, a remarkably level nice 
heifer, had first prize, and A. P. Turner's Kathleen, 
by The Grove 3d, second prize. The latter was a 
remarkably good heifer with perhaps a trifle more 
scale. These were two wonderfully good ones, and 
at the autumn Newport show the decisions were re- 
versed. Then Kathleen had a capital coat and Van- 
ity had very little. Lord Coventry had third prize 
with Plum Jam, by Fisherman. In yearlings Allen 
Hughes had first with Ladyl)ird, by Garfield 2d 
(7648), a big good heifer. Lord Coventry was sec- 
ond with a nice daughter of Good Boy. 

Good Boy and Rare Sovereign. — Good Boy came 
forward again in fine form and headed the aged 
bull class in Norwich in 1886, Tudge's Prince Rose, 

♦Apropos of the charge that Herefords are weak at the pail, 
these two Leinthall cows were exceptionally good milkers. When 
the champions were being- judged in the large ring upon this 
occasion, Mr. Mitchell, a leading Galloway breeder, called out to 
one who stood at the opposite side of the ring: "What about the 
Herefords for milkers, Tudge?" The latter answered back: "I 
am first and second in the breeding cow Hereford class, and I will 
show any man for the two best milkers in the showyard for £50 
with my two Hereford cows." Mitchell called out, loud enough 
for all to hear: "What do you say to that, you milking men?" 
A good many went and looked at the two cows, but no one took 
the wager. 



242 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

a fine upstanding younger bull, gaining second. In 
the three-year-old class Maidstone had an easy vic- 
tory, although there was plenty of competition in 
the class. Mr. Henry Haywood's Honey wood, a 
straight lengthy bull with nice character and style, 
a son of the Horace bull Truro, was second. In 
two-year-olds Lord Coventry's Eare Sovereign, a 
soon of Good Boy and a first-class type of a Here- 
ford sire, took first prize. He had plenty of size 
and quality with level form. Second was given to 
Mr. George Child's Warrior True, by Treasure 
Trove, and third to the Leinthall- bull Trojan, by 
Auctioneer. In the yearling bulls Eees Keene was 
first on Eeliance, by Bangham, the second going to 
Major Eanldn's Cicero, both grandsons of Lord Wil- 
ton. Third went to John Price for Plato, a straight 
useful son of his Eoyal winner Monarch, by Lord 
Wilton, with reserve to Eichard Green on The Whit- 
tern 's Prince, another son of Lord Wilton from Per- 
fection, by Eodney. 

Golden Treasure. — In a capital class of breeding 
cows Lord Covcntrs^'s wonderfully good Golden 
Treasure well kept up her form and name, again 
taking first prize. Allen Hughes' Sunflower, the 
winning heifer of the past three years, had to give 
way and take a second. The straight good-looking 
Leinthall cow Eebe, winner of the herd book prize 
at Preston, had third, Mr. F. I. Gough's Mabelle, by 
Lord Wilton, being reserve and highly commended. 
The in-calf three-year-old heifer class produced two 
remarkably good ones in A. P. Turner's Kathleen, 




HOTSPUK (772C) AT THREE YEARS—BKED BY T. J. CARWARUINE. 




HOTSPUR (7(128) AT FOUR YEARS— BRED BY JOHN PRICE. 



244 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

by The Grove 3d, and Taylor's Vanity 7tli, by Frank- 
lin. At Preston Vanity had first. Now it was Kath- 
leen 's win. Seldom are two such good heifers seen 
in showyard competition. In two-year-olds H. W 
Taylor with another daughter of Franklin, Auri- 
cula, carried off first prize with a very smart stylish 
heifer, Mr. Hill of Orleton coming second with Lor- 
raine, by Viscount (8140). 

The Hereford Herd Book prize that had been 
given for several years for cow and two offspring 
was this year changed to yearlings, one bull and two 
heifers, when singularly enough the Leinthall win- 
ner of first and second the previous year won it 
again under the new regulation, the award going to 
the remarkably good young bull Eegent (9121), a 
son of Regal, dam Rhea, by Romulus, all of the old 
Adforton breeding. The two heifers were New 
Year's Gift and Apple Blossom, by Auctioneer. The 
second prize went to John Price for Goldfinder and 
two nice heifers, May Queen and Ethel, all by 
Monarch. 

Newcastle-on-Tyne. — North Countrymen next had 
another opportunity of seeing the Herefords in 
1887, and the breed was fairly well represented by 
sixty-six entries, including many fine animals. 

Maidstone again was first among aged bulls, look- 
ing remarkably well and having a very easy win. 
Good Boy was not there, so there was nothing 
to make the running. The third bull at Norwich, 
Mrs. Edwards' Magnet, was now second; the three- 
year-olds being merged here into the ' ' all aged, ' ' he 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 245 

scarcely had a fair chance. This sent Eare Sover- 
eign, Lord Coventry's great young bull, down to 
third. Another three-year-old, Stockton Prince, by 
Lord Wilton, was reserve. In two-year-olds the 
Leinthall bull Regent, one of the Norwich winners, 
a bull of great substance, was an easy first. Big, 
thick and massive, he was remarkably well developed 
over the loins, heavy-fleshed and with splendid char- 
acter. He had won many prizes and would have 
been hard to beat for championship honors. Mr. A. 
E. Hughes was second with Pirate, a bull of nice 
character and quality, scarcely showing the sub- 
stance of the winner. The Earl of Coventry was 
third with Minstrel, by Spartan, and reserve with 
Textuary, by Good Boy, two promising young bulls 
in a good class of nine. In the young class A. P. 
Turner won first with Tarquin, by the Lord Wilton 
bull Sir Edward and from the grand heifer Kath- 
leen, by The Grove 3d, the winner in the three-year- 
old heifer class at Norwich. He was a deep thick 
bull with nice Hereford character. Second prize 
went to John Tudge's Alton, a son of Leinthall 
(8801) out of Coral, by Mareschal Niel, a stylish 
and attractive young bull. The third prize winner 
was the Earl of Coventry's Golden Miner, by Cali- 
f ornian, his dam being Golden Dream, by Fisherman 
from Golden Treasure, by Mareschal Neil. 

In breeding cows and three-year-old heifers Mr. 
Taylor's Gem, by Franklin, the third prize two- 
year-old of the previous year, now took first, the 
older breeding cow Myrtle, shown by Sir Joseph 




RARE SOVEREIGN (10449) AT TWO YEARS FIVE MONTHS— BRED BY 
LORD COVENTRY. 




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GOOD BOY (7068) AT FOUR YEARS EIGHT MONTHS— BRED BY LORD 
COVENTRY. 




dohn Cave. Sr.\ Hon.Thos.Duckham 



248 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Spearman, taking second. Allen Hughes' Sun- 
flower, the winner of so many heifer prizes and now 
five years old, had third. In two-year-olds Rees 
Keene won first with Bangle, by Bangham, dam by 
Tredegar, a deep thick heifer, but not so neat and 
stylish as the second, Mr. Crawshay's Cyfartha Vio- 
let, a trim-built heifer of first-class quality, her dam 
being Downton Violet, by Downton Boy. A. E. 
Hughes had third for Blossom, by Garfield 2d 
(7628). In yearlings J. H. Arkwright won first 
with Ivington Lass 24th, a daughter of Rose Cross 
and a very handsome heifer with splendid Here- 
ford character and level lines like her sire. The 
second was H. R. Hall's Gay Lass, also a very deep 
thick one, exceptionally level and good all over. The 
Earl of Coventry was third with Rosewater. These 
were all remarkably good heifers. Seldom are bet- 
ter seen together. In the group class for bull and 
two heifers Stephen Robinson was placed first with 
The Squire, by Highland Laird, and two nice heifers 
by Rosestock. John Price was second on Prince 
Alfred, by Monarch, and two nice heifers by the 
same sire. The Leinthall herd had reserve and 
highly commended for Baron "Wilton, by Viscount 
Wilton, Lady Wilton and Elsie Wilton, daughters 
of Lord Wilton. These were three grand lots, the 
judges having difficulty in placing the prizes. 

Nottingham Decisions.— The Nottingham Royal of 
1888 was a very successful meeting for the society, 
the attendance being large. In aged bulls the re- 
doubtable Maidstone again had first prize, but it 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 249 

was quite a matter of opinion between him and Rare 
Sovereign, placed second. The younger bull, with 
splendid style, character and quality, had a great 
many admirers. In the three-year-olds W. H. Cook's 
Grove Wilton 3d, sire Lord Wilton, dam Polyan- 
thus, by The Grove 3d, a remarkably deep heavy- 
fleshed bull, had first prize. Of great scale and 
quality, he had strong masculine character and was 
subsequently given the reserve male championship. 
Second to him was Lord Coventry's Rondeau, by 
Minstrel, a smart bull of good quality. Two-year- 
olds furnished the champion male Hereford in 
John Price's Prince Alfred, by Monarch and out 
of Playful, by Hotspur. He had been shown in the 
family class that took the second prize at Newcastle. 
Prince Alfred was a very heavy-fleshed level good 
bull of splendid quality and true Hereford char- 
acter, well deserving all his honors. Lord Cov- 
entry's Golden Miner and Taylor's son of Maid- 
stone were second and third. In the younger class 
A. E. Hughes was first with Royal Head, a bull of 
great scale and good Hereford character. Thomas 
Fenn was second with Downton Wilton, by Viscount 
Wilton, a bull of first-rate quality. Lord Coventry 
was third with Royal Ruler, by Rare Sovereign and 
from Rosemary, by The Grove 3d. 

In cows Sir Joseph Spearman's Myrtle 6th, sec- 
ond the year before, was now first. Her Majesty 
Queen Victoria was second with Mabelle, and Ran- 
kin was third with Fortune Teller. In the in-calf 
heifer class Taylor's Cardiff Lass was first, Ralph 



250 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE. 

Palmer coming second with Liglitfoot and Col. 
Bridgeford third with Princess. The next class, 
two-year-olds, was a remarkably good one. Lord 
Coventry's Eosewater was first, Arkwright's Iving- 
ton Lass 24th was second, and Tudge's Lady Wil- 
ton, by Lord Wilton, third— three marvellously good 
heifers to be in one class. In yearlings R. Keene's 
Blanche Bangham was first, Allen Hughes' Prin- 
cess second, and The Queen was third with Belle. 
In the showing for best bull and two heifers H. F. 
Russell was first with three by Horace Hardwick, 
a useful lot. S. Robinson was second with a bull by 
Highland Laird and two nice heifers by Rose Stock. 

The Windsor Jubilee.— The Jubilee Meeting, com- 
memorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England, was held in Wind- 
sor Great Park on June 24, 1889. It was a splendid 
exhibition of all breeds, and favored with fine 
weather. The 121 Herefords were a grand lot. 

In aged bulls Mr. Taylor's Maidstone reached the 
zenith of his career, again winning first prize. This 
was his sixth Royal win in succession, and this time 
he was champion male Hereford and reserve for 
the Queen's gold medal. The second was given to 
John Price's Radnor Boy, although he was not so 
general a favorite as the third prize bull, Lord Cov- 
entry's Rare Sovereign, the well known son of Good 
Boy out of Rare Jewel, by Merry Monarch, tracing 
back to Lord Berwick's famous old herd. W. H. 
Cooke had reserve with Grove Wilton 3d. In two- 
year-old bulls Her Majesty Queen Victoria was first 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
rRlZE-\YIXMNG BULL HAPPY HAMPTON. 




Copyright photo by Bustin 
ROYAL PRIZE BULL SPRING JACK— BreU by Mr. AiUwright. 



252 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

with Favourite (13052), bred by John Price, and 
a son of his Royal winner Monarch (7858), by Lord 
Wilton, a young bull of fine style and character and 
plenty of size and quality, well entitled to his place 
at first in the class. The Earl of Coventry was 
second with White Boy, from White Eose by Patriot, 
a bull with much scale, a good top and straight un- 
derline. Third prize was given to Thomas Fenn's 
Downton Wilton, a son of Viscount Wilton, a nice 
quahty bull like his sire. The yearlings and bull 
calves, a class of thirty-five, were difficult to judge, 
first prize eventually being given to Sir James Ran- 
kin's Figaro, a straight useful calf by Cicero, son 
of Lord Wilton. The second went to Allen Hughes' 
Endale, bred by Edward Yeld of Endale, a son of 
Hilarity from Fraulein Wilton, by Lord Wilton, a 
deep heavy-fleshed dark-colored calf with more sub- 
stance than the winner. The third in this very large 
good class was the Earl of Coventry's Golden Sover- 
eign, from Golden Dream, a daughter of the treble 
Royal winner Golden Treasure. 

In a class of nineteen cows and heifers in calf or 
in milk, the winner was a marv^elously good one. 
This was the Earl of Coventry's Rosewater, not 
only first in her class but the champion Hereford 
female and the winner of the Queen's gold medal 
as best Hereford in the yard. She was a daughter 
of Rare Sovereign from Rosemary, by The Grove 3d, 
faultless in form, yet with plenty of scale and beauti- 
ful character and quality. She was called a model 
Hereford. J. H. Arkwright was second with Curljr 



254 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

23d, a straight good heifer by the Royal winner 
Rose Cross. Thomas Fenn had third with Bravura, 
by Good Boy, bred at Croome's Court. In two-year- 
olds Allen Hughes was first with Princess, a good 
daughter of Newton Plum, A. P. Turner was second 
with Veronica, by Sir Edward, and Her Majesty 
was third with Jenny Lind. The next was a very 
large and good class of thirty-three, Her Majesty 
again winning first prize, this time with Rose, by 
Auctioneer, a very level stylish heifer with plenty 
of size, good hair and quality, with nice character, 
and standing square and good all around. Auction- 
eer had been loaned for a time to Mr. Tait, the 
Queen's farm manager, but he unfortunately met 
with an accident to his stifle joint and had to be de- 
stroyed. He had been a very successful sire at 
Court House, The Brakes and Leinthall. The second 
went to John Price for Lady Constance, a daughter 
of Monarch, dam by Auctioneer, so that both win- 
ners in this large good class were nearly related.* 

*We may here record an incident of this Jubilee rioyal at 
Windsor that materially affected two leading English agricultural 
newspapers, "Bell's Weekly Messenger" and "The Farmer and 
Stockbreeder." With the aid of a dictionary, some Germans had 
been trying to trade for a heifer with one of the exhibitors, but 
failed to connect. Shortly afterwards Mr. Alexander Macdonald, 
the editor of "Bell's Messenger," then a leading London agricul- 
tural paper, came by and asked the exhibitor how he was getting 
on. The difficulty was explained to him, whereupon he said: "My 
wife speaks German like a native. I will get her to come and 
meet you and them tomorrow." She came, but not the Germans. 
Macdonald passed by several times, but did not stay to talk. 
When he sent his report of the show to the printers the railway 
guard, through some error, failed to deliver it. James Sinclair, 
editor of the "Live Stock Journal," had his report out early next 
morning. Macdonald was much later. The proprietor of "Bell's 
Messenger" blamed Macdonald, accusing him of having neglected 
his duty. He was very indignant and resigned. About a fort- 
night later he bought a little paper called "Agriculture," the 
name of which was changed to the "Parmer and Stockbreeder." 
It has been a success, and "Bell's Messenger" is a thing of 
the past. 



MORE ROYAL DECISIONS REVIEWED 255 

Fifty Years of Progress. — We have now noted 
the results of half-a-century's competition for 
honors at England's national show. From this it 
is apparent that in the earlier part of that period 
scale was the leading feature, some enormous 
weights being recorded. Cotmore, winner at the first 
Royal show in 1839, weighed 3,500 pounds. At the 
end of this fifty-year period in 1889, although Maid- 
stone, Good Boy and Fisherman were considered big 
bulls, the heaviest of them weighed but a trifle over 
2,600 pounds. The decisions at the Worcester show 
of 1863 and the character of the Sir Thomas stock 
thereafter shown, first drew attention to the fact 
that quality was to take the place of mere bulk. 
Eighteen years later came the Lord Wiltons to the 
Derby Royal of 1881, where both males and females 
of that blood were generally acknowledged to rep- 
resent the acme of Herefordshire breeding at that 
date. The subsequent use of The Grove 3d bulls 
upon the Wilton females brought the union of 
quality and flesh that distinguished so many model 
Herefords in succeeding years. 

We shall now be able to pursue the history of the 
breed on our own side of the water with a good un- 
derstanding of the material with which we have to 
deal. 



CHAPTER VI. 
FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS. 

The business of grazing and feeding cattle for 
market in the United States had its origin in the 
valley of the South Branch of the Potomac River 
in the state of Virginia during the closing years 
of the eighteenth century. The War of the Revo- 
lution was over; the independence of the colonies 
was established. Trade and industry had begun 
to thrive, and a profitable market for good beef 
loomed up in Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia 
and New York. The valley was populated by an in- 
telligent, enterprising and self-reliant people — fami- 
lies that had inherited from a long line of ances- 
tors, largely of British birth, a love of the soil, a 
fondness for good horses, good dogs, good cattle, 
and in general, the good things of life in the open. 
Washington himself had set the example. Turning 
from the presidency to the gentle arts of agricul- 
ture at Mt. Vernon, he admonished his countrymen 
that farming was at once ''the most healthful, 
most useful, and the noblest employment of man." 
So over in the valley those who had contributed of 
their blood and treasure to the colonial cause, now 
''beat their swords into plow-shares, and their 
spears into pruning-hooks." From the aborigines 

356 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 257 

they already had the key that was to unlock stores 
)f gold greater than even Pizzaro coveted. They 
lad the Indian corn. 

"All around the happy village 

Stood the maize fields green and shining." 

'Squaw farming," while not scientific, was sug- 
gestive. The possibilities of the corn plant were ob- 
vious. Its culture by these Virginians led inevit- 
ably to cattle; and once they had progressed that 
far it was only a question of a little time until some 
enterprising member of the community was certain 
to conceive the idea of engrafting upon their unim- 
proved stock the blood of the better breeds that were 
known to graze in the distant pastures of the 
motherland. 

As to who made the original purchases we cannot 
at this date be entirely certain. Tradition has it 
that while the foundations of the great industry 
soon to be carried over the Blue Ridge into the Ohio 
Valley and the west were being laid in the Old Do- 
minion, an importation of Herefords was made into 
Virginia by a Mr. W. C. Rives, but authentic rec- 
ords in reference to such shipment (if made) are 
not available. The known fact is that Messrs. 
Gough and Miller made certain importations of 
the old Teeswater (Shorthorn or Durham) and 
other stock into Maryland and Virginia about 1786, 
and that the descendants of these cattle were bred 
and handled with profit for a long series of years 
by the pioneer graziers and feeders of that period. 

Under the name of "Patton stock" — so called be- 



258 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

cause first introduced by the Messrs. Patton— the 
descendants of the Gough and Miller importations 
became the basis of the great cattle business subse- 
quently developed in the bluegrass regions of cen- 
tral Kentucky and southern Ohio. 

First Improved Blood in Kentucky.— Careful 
investigation indicates that the commonly accepted 
statement that the Gough and Miller cattle were 
all of the Shorthorn and Durham type is not cor- 
rect. Examination of various records bearing upon 
this question indicates that Longhorn and possibly 
Hereford blood were included in the purchases made 
by these gentlemen in England. The foundations 
therefore of the cattle-breeding operations of those 
who in the early days began the profitable business 
of converting corn and bluegrass into beef in central 
Kentucky and southern Ohio, were not entirely laid 
in the blood of the Teeswater cattle. In the course 
of our inquiries touching this point and confirma- 
tory of the above statement, the author submits the 
following interesting letter written by Mr. B. Har- 
rison of Woodford county, Ky., and published in the 
^'Franklin Farmer" in 1838: 

''The impression that Matthew Patton, Sr., was 
the first individual who brought blooded cattle to 
Kentucky, is incorrect. The facts are, that some 
two or three Mr. Pattons, the sons, and a Mr. Gay, 
the son-in-law of Matthew Patton, Sr., brought some 
half -blooded English cattle (so called), a bull and 
some heifers, as early as 1785, or thereabouts, and 
settled where Nicholasville, in Jessamine county, 
now stands. The cattle were from the stock of Mat- 




Col. Lewis Sanders 



260 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tliew Patton, Sr., who then resided in Virginia. 
These cattle I never saw and know but little about. I 
have heard them spoken of as being large at that day 
and have always understood that they were the 
calves of a bull owned by Matthew Patton, Sr., which 
he purchased of Gough of Maryland, who was an 
importer of English cattle. I never saw that bull, 
but have often heard my grandfather (Matthew 
Patton, Sr.) speak of him. He described him as 
being very large and of the Longhorned breed. 
Matthew Patton, Sr., emigrated to Kentucky about 
the year 1790 and brought with him some six or 
more cows and calves of the Longhorned bull before 
mentioned. I knew these cows very well for I saw 
them almost every day for several years. They 
were large, somewhat coarse and rough, with very 
long horns, wide between the points, turning up con- 
siderably, their bags and teats very large, differing 
widely in appearance from the Longhorned stock 
of the importation of 1817. Some of them were first 
rate milkers. 

''About the year 1795, Matthew Patton, Sr., pro- 
cured from the beforementioned Gough, through his 
son, William Patton, a bull called Mars, and a heifer 
called Venus, both of which were sold by Gough as 
full-blooded English cattle, but like the importation 
of 1817, they had no other pedigree. The bull was a 
deep red, with a white face, of good size, of round 
full form, of more bone than the popular stock of the 
present day, his horns somewhat coarse. The heifer 
was a pure white except her ears, which were red, 
of fine size, high form, short crumply horns turning 
downwards. She produced two bull "calves by Mars 
and died. One of these bulls was taken to the 
neighborhood of Chillicothe, 0., by William Pat- 
ton, and the other to Jessamine Co., Ky., by 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 261 

Roger Patton. Mars remained in the possession 
of Matthew Patton, Sr., until his death, in the year 
1803. He was then sold at the sale of his estate 
and purchased by a Mr. Peeples of the same neigh- 
borhood, but who soon afterwards changed his resi- 
dence to Montgomery county, taking Mars witli him, 
where the bull soon after died. Mars, whilst in the 
possession of Matthew Patton, Sr., served few cows 
except his own and those of his sons and son-in-law, 
for the reason that he charged the sum of two dol- 
lars for each cow served by the bull, which price 
was at that day considered so extravagant that only 
a few individuals would breed to him. The bull 
calves that he produced were nearly all permitted 
to run for breeders; consequently every person in 
a large section of countr^% had an opportunity 
of breeding to half-blooded bulls, which effected a 
great improvement in the stock of cattle in a large 
portion of Clarke county and a small portion of 
Bourbon county. Mars produced from the half Long- 
horned cows, which I have before described, stock 
that would be considered good, even at this day. 
All the bull calves that were bred by Patton and 
his family were sold to persons in all the cTitTerent 
sections of this state and some to persons living 
in other states. Mars has been dead 33 years. 

''In 1803, Daniel Harrison (my father), James 
Patton and James Gay, purchased of a Mr. Miller, 
of Virginia, who was an importer of English cattle, 
a two-year-old bull called Pluto, who certified that 
he was got by an imported bull and came out of an 
imported cow, l)ut gave no other pedigree. Pluto 
was a dark red or brindle, and when full grown 
was the largest bull I have ever seen, with an un- 
commonly small head and neck, light, short horns, 
very heavy-fleshed, yet not carrying so much on the 



262 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

most desirable points as the fashionable stock of 
the present day, with small bone for an animal of 
his weight. Pluto was kept on the farms of his 
owners and served their cows and those of such 
others as were willing to pay $2 per cow, which was 
not many, as the price was still considered too high. 
He was bred upon the cows produced by the Patton 
bull Mars, which produced stock that has rarely 
been excelled in all the essential qualities of the 
cow kind. They were unquestionably the best milk- 
ers that have ever been in Kentucky, taken as a 
stock in the general, and but little inferior in point 
of form to the most approved stock of the present 
day, and of greater size. In the year 1812, or there- 
abouts, Pluto was taken to Ohio, and shortly after- 
wards died. 

''In the year 1810, or thereabouts, Capt. Wm. 
Smith, of Fayette, purchased of the same Mr. Mil- 
ler the bull called Buzzard. He was a brindle, very 
large and coarse, taller than Pluto, but not consid- 
ered so heavy. A number of the Pluto cows, as well 
as the produce of the Patton bull, were bred to 
Buzzard, but the stock was held rather in disrepute 
on account of coarseness and the disinclination to 
early maturity. Buzzard was sired by the same 
bull that Pluto was, but came out of a different cow, 
said to be of the Longhorned stock which Miller had 
bought of Matthew Patton, Sr. 

''About the year 1813, a Mr. Inskip came to Ken- 
tucky from Virginia and brought with him a large 
bull called Inskip 's Brindle. He was a large coarse 
bull, and I have always understood that he was a 
descendant of Miller's stock, mixed with the Long- 
horned stock that Matthew Patton, Sr., left in Vir- 
ginia when he left there. 

"About the year 1814, Daniel Harrison (my 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 263 

father) procured a bull and heifer from a Mr. Rin- 
gold, an importer of English cattle, either of Mary- 
land or Virginia. They were called the Carey cattle. 
They were pied red and white, were rather small, 
light-fleshed, raw-boned stock, and had no claims to 
merit only for milking qualities. They were good 
milkers." 

While the above letter in its entirety is of gen- 
eral interest, the reference to the bull Mars is es- 
pecially significant. It will be observed that he is 
described as ''a deep red, with a white face, of good 
size, of round full form, of more bone than the popu- 
lar stock of the present day, his horns somewhat 
coarse," etc. That might be a description of a 
Hereford of that period, and as he was bought and 

i used by the Pattons, who introduced the first im- 
proved blood into Kentucky, it may be that a Here- 

I fordshire cross entered into some of these founda- 

' tion herds. The Longhorn blood was freely used. 

' That has been a well recognized fact for many years. 

. Nevertheless, the Shorthorn or Durham blood pre- 
dominated strongly in the Patton cattle, and this 

: preponderance became an overwhelming percentage 
after the importation and use of the cattle soon 
afterwards brought direct from England into Ken- 

' tucky by Col. Lewis Sanders. 

I Henry Clay's Importation of 1817.— In 1816 

I Hon. Henry Clay, of Lexington, Ky., was in Eng- 
land. In common with other public-spirited Ken- 

n tuckians of that day he was anxious to assist in 

I every possible way in developing the natural re- 



264 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

sources of the new state. Hearing that his friend and 
fellow-citizen, Col. Lewis Sanders,* a large land- 
owner in Fayette and Gallatin counties, had placed 
an order in Liverpool for a shipment of Shorthorns 
and Longhorns with a view towards improving the 
old Patton cattle, Mr. Clay decided to give the breed 
that was then attracting so much attention at the 
Smithfield Fat Stock Show in London a trial in the 
bluegrass. There is no record extant as to where 
the specimens were procured, but the forwarding 
of a cow, a young bull and a heifer of the Hereford 
breed by the ship Mohawk, which brought out the 
famous Shorthorn importation of 1817 from Liver- 
pool to Baltimore, is a matter of recorded history. 
The comparatively small sum of £105 is said to have 
been paid for the lot in England. 

This importation of Shorthorns, Longhorns and 
Herefords was destined to have a far-reaching and 
most beneficent effect upon the agriculture of the 
middle west. There were no herd books either in 
Great Britain or America in 1817. While there has 
never been any question as to the fact that the ani- 

*Col. Sanders was a close student of agricultural conditions and a 
regular reader of English publications dealing with f aim tonics 
Through these he had learned of the great prices paid t^ teS 
tK^lfesaidf ^'^ "'■"^ ^' *^^ ^^^'- ^°^''"^ ^^1«- Commenting on 

-uinfaTaf OOoT* pLl^f "l^V '°"'' years old brought four hundred 
'?tsn?n^^* tl ^- C°met, SIX years old, brought one thousand guineas 
($0,000). He was bought by four farmers. It seemed to me that if 

fr/h.^t w'"^^ T,!''? '^"""§' ^° P^y ^^'^'^^ ^°^ -^ bun, There was a vai^e 
in that breed that we were unapprised of, and that I should endeavor 
to procure it I made up an order for six bulls and six cows Mv 
vievvs were then more inclined for a good milking than for a encul 
heet breed. The weight of the authorities gi^^n by the writers on^^h^ 
subject ot cattle at the close of the last and the commencement of 
fnr ?J,?if"^ century was in favor of the Holderness breed as the best 
for milking, and the Teeswater and Durham as having the hand 
somest and most perfect forms. I settled on these breeds " 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 265 

mals imported were true to their respective types, 
pedigrees and purity of blood were held by the prac- 
tical seekers after bovine excellence in those days 
in complete subordination to fleshing and milking 
capacity. Actual value for practical use was the 
test of good breeding, and so while many of the 
descendants of these imported Shorthorns were kept 
pure and free from admixture of other blood, there 
was more or less cross-breeding practiced. 

Mr. Clay placed his Herefords in the capable 
hands of Isaac Cunningham, owner of one of the 
largest and best grass farms in Kentucky at that 
date, and a man of wealth and influence, possessing 
many good cows of the Patton blood. While for 
the most part loyal Shorthorn breeders, Mr. Cun- 
ningham and his contemporaries utilized the' Here- 
ford blood for crossing purposes, and certain of the 
local herds of ''Durhams" were thus ''infected" — 
as it was afterwards regarded by those who owned 
English-bred Shorthorns — with the Hereford "al- 
loy." Yet the percentage of Hereford blood to 
Shorthorn blood in use in Kentucky for a long series 
of years following . this importation was as a drop 
in a full bucket, and as no additional Hereford blood 
was introduced into the state for many years after, 
it is not strange that the "white face" was soon 
merged with and altogether lost its identity in the 
broad Shorthorn stream that soon swallowed it up. 

Looking back over a long series of years after 
tl'is early Kentucky experiment with Hereford 
blood, Mr. Clay wrote to Hon. Henry S. Eandall, 



266 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of New York, one of the leading agricultural writers 
of the time, in the following vein : 

*'I was induced to discontinue breeding the Here- 
fords in consequence of an apprehension that I 
should breed in-and-in too far, which in some in- 
stances I found to be the case. I could not obtain, 
conveniently, crosses from other females of the same 
race." 

Mr. Clay afterwards wrote: 

''My opinion is that the Herefords make better 
work cattle, are hardier, and will, upon being fat- 
tened, take themselves to market better than their 
rivals. They are also fair milkers. On the other 
hand, the Durhams, I think, have the advantage in 
earlier maturity, in beauty and in the quantity of 
milk which they will yield. They will also attain 
great size and weight. The choice between the two 
races should be regulated somewhat by circum- 
stances. If one has rich, long and luxuriant grass, 
affording a good bite, and has not too far to drive 
to market, he had better breed the Durhams, other- 
wise the Herefords." 

In 1846, when Lewis F. Allen founded the Ameri- 
can Shorthorn Herd Book, he admitted to registry 
from Kentucky quite a number of animals in whose 
veins were traces of both Hereford and Longhorn 
blood, and in subsequent volumes certain descend- 
ants of these cattle were recorded. The fact that 
they had attained true Shorthorn character through 
the steady use of purebred bulls of that type did not 
save those tracing to the ''Kentucky woods," as it 
was termed, from much unmerited vituperation, and 
at the present day cattle so descended have prac- 
tically disappeared from Shorthorn records. 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 267 

The late T. L. Miller made the claim that inasmuch 
as the great old-time Shorthorn bullock-breeding 
herd of John D. Gillett, Elkhart, 111., father of the 
export trade in live cattle, was founded upon the 
blood of these "seventeen" and ''woods" cattle, 
the Herefords really shared in the making of those 
wonderful animals with which Mr. Gillett at one 
time astonished the country. This relationship, 
however, was too remote to be of practical effect as 
late as the ' ' seventies ' ' when the argument was ad- 
vanced. The great and lucrative business of mak- 
ing beef in Ohio and Kentucky and driving it on 
the hoof across the mountains to seaboard markets 
was based very largely upon the Shorthorn blood, 
and yet it is a fact that some of the herds which con- 
tributed to the upl)uilding of that business had re- 
ceived Hereford and Longhorn crosses. However, 
that subject at the present time is one of sentimental 
rather than of practical interest. 

A Hereford Owned by Lewis Sanders. — Unusual 
interest attaches to the somewhat crude picture of 
the cow Jessica presented herewith. This is the 
only illustration we have ever seen of any of the 
direct descendants of the Henry Clay importation 
into Kentucky. Our plate is a reproduction of a 
lithograph made a great many years ago by T. 
Campbell of Ghent, Ky., who copied it from a paint- 
ing by Troye. This cow was owned for a time by 
Col. Lewis Sanders, and the fact that an animal of 
such distinctively Hereford character was in his 
possession, illustrates the tendency in the early days 



268 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

of cattle breeding in Kentucky to experiment in 
crossing the breeds. It will be observed that Jessica 
shows indications of having been a good milker. 

We have found this plate in a queer old combina- 
tion scrap-book and diary kept at one time by Col. 
Sanders at his farm at Grass Hills. This volume 
along with many interesting letters and various 
documents relating to the early introduction of im- 
proved live stock into the state of Kentucky, has 
been kindly placed at the disposal of the author by 
Mrs. N. C. Brown, a granddaughter of Col. Lewis 
Sanders, residing at Ghent, Ky. It is to the cour- 
tesy of Mrs. Brown that we are also indebted for 
an old daguerreotype of Col. Sanders, from which 
the portrait appearing in this volume has been 
prepared. This picture was taken when the veteran 
advocate of better farming was in his eightieth 
year. Much interesting and hitherto undiscovered 
material relating to Col. Sanders' life and work 
deals more particularly with Shorthorns, however, 
and is therefore reserved for publication in a revised 
edition of the author's history of Shorthorn cattle, 
to be undertaken in the near future. 

Introduced Into Massachusetts.— The next Here- 
fordshire blood brought to our shores, and of which 
we have positive record, came in the shape of a bull 
and a heifer presented by Admiral Coffin of the 
Royal English Navy to the Massachusetts Society 
for the Promotion of Agriculture, probably about 
1825. The heifer never bred, but the bull, known 
as Sir Isaac, became the property of Isaac C. Bates 



270 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of Nortliampton and lived to the great age of nine- 
teen or twenty years. The document accompanying 
these cattle set forth that they were "bred by Sir J. 
G. Cottrel whose stock was from Mr. Yarworth, and 
his from Benjamin Tomkins." All accounts agree 
that he made a deep impress upon the native stock 
of that district. Of his get it was written : 

"Their excellencies were for beef and work, and 
in these qualities they are said to have been much 
superior to any other cattle which have been known 
here. Their strength was great and their quickness 
and speed as travelers remarkable." 

Various local authorities, such as Mr. Cook, of 
Northampton, and Mr. Sargent, of Springfield, have 
recorded their high estimation of the Sir Isaac 
steers as producing beef of better quality than any 
before seen. There can be no doubt that this bull 
served as a capital advertisement for the breed not 
only throughout Massachusetts but in adjoining 
states. Mr. S. H. Bates, a son of Isaac Bates, 
availed himself of the opportunity of carrying on 
the line in later years by the selection of a bull from 
the Corning & Sotham herd, presently to be men- 
tioned. 

Mr. Sanford Howard, who was interested in cat- 
tle breeding in Massachusetts at this time and sub- 
sequently in the state of Maine, speaking of this 
bull and his get, bears this testimony : 

"These cattle were kept for one or two years in 
the section of the state where I then resided on the 
farm of John Prince, near Koxbury. The cow never 
had a calf, and was slaughtered. She was certainly 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 271 

one of the most extraordinary animals for shape 
and size ever exhibited at the Brighton, Mass., cattle 
shows. I saw many of the bull's progeny in the 
vicinity where he was first kept, and owned some of 
them. They made prodigiously powerful and active 
draft cattle; there was a majesty in their gait and 
an elasticity and • quickness of movement which I 
never saw equaled and which, together with their 
beautiful mahogany color and strong constitutions, 
made them decided favorites with the Yankee team- 
sters. I shall here remark that I knew many and 
owned several of the progeny of the imported Short- 
horn bull Admiral, also presented to the Massachu- 
setts Society by Admiral Coffin, and I have no hesi- 
tation in saying that for the ordinary uses to which 
cattle are applied in the northern section of the 
country I consider the stock of the Hereford bull 
decidedly preferable. ' ' 

Mr. Howard's statement concerning the adapt- 
ability of the Hereford to New England conditions 
is not only interesting, but his views were undoubt- 
edly shared by many of his contemporaries as the 
type subsequently gained a footing in the state of 
Maine and other parts of New England, from which 
it has never since been dislodged. He says : 

''I have never seen Shorthorns which appeared to 
possess sufficient hardiness of constitution to adapt 
themselves to so rigorous a climate and the hard 
labor of the yoke to which oxen in Maine are sub- 
jected. On commencing stockbreeding operations 
in the north I purchased from Hon. John Wells, 
of Boston, a bull of a cross between the Hereford 
and Shorthorn with a slight dash of the Bakewell. 
This bull was the easiest animal to fatten that I 
ever saw. His weight at six years, after having 



272 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

been wintered on the coarsest fodder that the farm 
afforded, was 2,000 pounds." 

It is not easy to understand this reference to ''a 
cross between the Hereford and Shorthorn with a 
slight dash of the Bakewell," as related to a bull bred 
in New England. By ''a dash of Bakewell" pre- 
sumably the Longhorn blood is meant. Such a cross 
could, of course, have come from Kentucky, and 
possibly the Longhorn blood may have existed some- 
where in New England, but we have no record of its 
importation there. 

It is reported that at the New York State Fair 
of 1842, Mr. P. N. Rust exhibited a fat ox with 
Hereford markings, eight years old and at a live 
weight of what was claimed to be 4,200 pounds. It 
is difficult at this date to determine just how much 
credence should be placed upon an apparent exag- 
geration. Mr. Howard, above quoted, however, 
writing of this extraordinary bullock, said : 

''He is truly a most superb animal. He has both 
the shape and color and the characteristics of a 
Hereford. His shoulders are well set, his chine full, 
back short, loin and hips very wide, rump long, legs 
clean and sinewy, and he is considerably heavier 
than any other animal I have ever seen of so little 
bone and offal. At the time I saw him Mr. Rust 
thought his weight would not be less than 3,700 
pounds. I saw the man who said he raised this ox, 
and both he and Mr. Rust agreed that his sire was 
part Hereford." 

So far as one may now surmise it may be pre- 
sumed that this bullock was related in some way to 
the Massachusetts stock derived from old Sir Isaac. 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 273 

Alleged Importation Into Maine in 1830. — In 

a commimicatiou entitled "Herefords in New Eng- 
land," contributed to the "Breeder's Journal,"* 
and published in September, 1886, the late Mr. H. C. 
Burleigh said : 

"As perhaps very few of your readers are aware, 
I will say the second, and by far the more important, 
importation of Hereford cattle into the United 
States was made by Sanford Howard for the 
Vaughan Bros., of Hallowell, Me., in 1830, the first 
being imported by Henry Clay into Kentucky in 
1817. The Vaughan Herefords were a splendid lot 
of cattle, and were kept on the farm since and now 
owned by Hon. J. E. Bodwell and occupied by Bur- 
leigh & Bodwell for quarantine and sale purposes." 

The Vaughan Bros, were men of education and 
distinction. One, Dr. Benjamin Vaughan, was born 
in England and educated at Cambridge, and during 
the American Eevolution was a member of Parlia- 
ment, but his friendship for the colonies brought 
him to this country. With his brother Charles he 
settled in Hallowell, Me., on a property derived 
from their maternal grandfather, Benjamin Hal- 
lowell. The property had a frontage of one mile 
along the Kennebec River and a depth of five miles. 
They established extensive gardens and nurseries, 
carrying on model farming on a large scale. 

Mr. Burleigh began breeding purebred Herefords 

'himself in 1865 on his father's old farm near Water- 

ville, Me., and it seems difficult to understand how 

*This was a monthly magazine established and conducted for some 
years at Beecher. III., by Mr. T. L. Miller and his associates in the 
interest of the Herefords. 



274 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE. 

he could have made a 'mistake in this matter. There 
is no direct proof that the statement is incorrect, 
but it seems almost incredible that Mr. Sanford 
Howard himself, writing on the early eastern Here- 
fords as late as 1841 to ''The Albany Cultivator" 
should have failed to mention such importation had 
it actually been made. He had removed to Maine 
from Massachusetts, as hereinbefore mentioned, and 
had become superintendent for the Vaughan Bros, 
in 1830. 

One of the best informed breeders of the present 
day in the New England states, Mr. J. H. Under- 
wood, of Kents Hill, Me., writing to the author 
under date of Oct. 18, 1913, touching this importa- 
tion, says: 

* ' For more than sixty years my grandfather lived 
within sixteen miles of Hallowell, did business in 
that city continually, and from 1830 to 1860 was in 
so close touch with cattle interests in Kennebec 
county that he must have known the Vaughan Bros, 
and been familiar with their cattle. In the later 
'40 's and early '50 's Joseph Hall Underwood was 
specially interested in purebred Herefords and look- 
ing for breeding stock with which to found a herd. 
Had he been able to buy such stock of the Vaughan 
Bros., it seems probable that he would have done 
so. Furthermore, my father and my uncle, George 
Underwood, would have been likely to have known 
about such cattle, had they existed; and they used 
to talk considerably to me about the early Here- 
fords in Maine, but never mentioned the Vaughans 
in this connection. 

"Presumably Mr. Burleigh supposed he was stat- 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 275 

ing facts when he made reference to tlie Vauglian 
Bros, as importers of Hereford cattle, but to my 
mind such a reference merely illustrates how easily 
fairy tales creep into j)rint. 

''Howard says that when he left the Vaughan 
farm in 1837 he sold some of these cattle to J. Win- 
gate Haines, of Hallowell. Sanford Hewett, one 
of my neighbors, is a nephew of J. Wingate Haines 
and was born in 1835. I recently asked Mr. Hewett 
if the Vaughan Bros, ever owned or imported Here- 
ford cattle. He said he had never heard anything to 
that effect, but added that Sanford Howard brought 
to Maine the first Hereford bull in the state, and 
that his uncle, J. Wingate Haines, brought in the 
second one. Mr. Hewett was nine years old at the 
time Haines bought Albany of Corning & Sotham. 

''My theory is, that the cattle referred to by San- 
ford Howard had enough Hereford blood to give 
them the appearance of Herefords, that Haines 
wanted to intensify this blood, hence bought the 
purebred Hereford bull Albany of Corning & Sotham 
in 1844. If my reasoning is correct, the 'Hereford' 
bull brought here by Howard in 1830 is the bull which 
he described in his 'Albany Cultivator' article as 'a 
cross between the Hereford and the improved Short- 
horn, with a slight dash of the BakewelL' In this 
case, J. Wingate Haines has the distinction of in- 
troducing the first purebred Hereford into Maine." 

In the light of Mr. Howard's reference to his 
purchase "on commencing stockbreeding operations 
in the north," it would seem to be a fair inference 
in connection with his failure to mention any trip 
to England to purchase Herefords, that the cattle 
bought by him for the Vaughans were grades of the 
Sir Isaac blood and brought to Maine from Massa- 



276 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

chusetts, instead of from England. The habit of 
speaking of live stock brought into a state from a 
distance as ''imported" has always characterized 
many sections of the Union, and in this may lie a 
possible solution of the mystery attaching to this 
alleged Maine importation of 1830. It is unfortu- 
nate that the matter does not seem to have been 
cleared up before the decease of those who could 
have given direct testimony. As it is, we can only 
record Mr. Burleigh's affirmation on the one hand, 
and on the other present the negative evidence.* 

J. Wingate Haines was an Aroostook Co., Me., 
pioneer, removing from Hallowell to that portion 
of the state some time in the '50 's, and taking his 
cattle with him. He settled at Fort Fairfield, and 
there are today white-faced cattle in that vicinity 
descended directly from his stock. 

The New York Importation of 1840. — Ebenezer 
Wilson, a beef packer of New York, had in his 
employ as a cattle buyer in 1839 a young English- 
man named William Henry Sotham, a native of 

♦Referring to this incident Mr. Geo. W. Haines, a son of J. 
Wingate Haines, says: 

"I am quite sure that we never had a bull from Sanford 
Howard, for the first 'white faces' of which I have recollection 
came from the bull Albany that father bought at New York 
about the year 1841, as near as I can recollect. This bull was 
kept at Fayette Mills at Mr. Underwood's for at least one sea- 
son. I have the impression that he was at Wayne one season at 
Isaac Bowies'. He went to Anson, and I think was sold to a 
party there. We moved to Aroostook in 1844 taking quite a lot 
of cattle and sheep with us, but I do not think we took a pure- 
bred Hereford bull. Father afterward got a bull calf from Ken- 
nebec. Father was born in Hallowell about 1807, and died at 
Fort Fairfield in 1879. I used to be at the Vaughan farm quite 
often, but don't recollect ever seeing any Hereford cattle there." 

It will be observed that Mr. Haines' recollection as to date 
when Albany was taken to Maine varies from Mr. Hewett's. We 
should think 1841 rather early as the first Sotham importation 
was not made until 1840. 



278 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Oxfordshire, who had originally come to the States 
in 1832, serving for two years following that date 
as manager of a farm in Medina Co., 0., owned by 
Mr. Henry Coit of Cleveland. In his capacity as a 
buyer for Mr. Wilson, Sotham gained a close knowl- 
edge of the cattle stocks of that day in New York, 
Pennsylvania and Ohio, and as there was a dearth 
of good bullocks available his mind naturally re- 
verted to the various English types with which he 
had personal familiarity. 

The Shorthorn blood had been already introduced 
throughout those states by the descendants of vari- 
ous importations. Mr. Cox, an Englishman, had 
brought the blood into Rensselaer Co., N. Y., 
near Albany, shortly after the close of the "War of 
1812. Two bulls are said to have been imported 
into the Genesee Valley in 1817. Around 1820 seve- 
ral importations were made into Massachusetts. In 
1823 Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, of Albany, 
brought out valuable specimens. Numerous other 
lots of Shorthorns came out between 1820 and 1830, 
including the famous importation of Col. John Hare 
Powel, of Philadelphia. In the '30 's, Walter Dun, 
of Kentucky, and the Ohio Importing Co., landed 
valuable shipments. In those days, however, the 
milking trait was held in high esteem by breeders 
and importers of Shorthorns, and for some time 
prior to the beginning of Mr. Sotham 's activities 
the famous herd of Thos. Bates, of Kirklevington, 
Yorkshire, England, had become the dominant in- 
fluence in Shorthorn breeding, an influence that did 

scenes in "these degenerate days." 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 279 

not make specifically for improvement in respect to 
the special business of beef-making. Most of the 
Shorthorns of that period in the United States were 
excellent general purpose cattle, combining scale 
with level lines, fine style and good dairy quality, 
but the thick-fleshed type that had been developed 
so successfully by the Messrs. Booth at Warlaby, 
Killerby and Studley had not then been introduced. 
Erastus Corning Interested.— As a buyer of 
steers for market, Mr. Sotham claimed, and doubt- 
less with reason, that the Shorthorns as bred in the 
east at that time were deficient in flesh and feeding 
qualities as compared with Herefords. He had little 
or no capital at his disposal, but determined never- 
theless to find some way to finance an importation, 
and succeeded after vicissitudes narrated by him- 
self. Hon. Erastus Corning became chief owner of 
a lot of twenty-two head selected by Mr. Sotham in 
England and landed at New York in 1840. 

Sotham 's own story of this importation is as fol- 
lows: 

'^In the fall of 1839 I had just finished buying 
nearly 4,000 head of cattle in droves for Mr. Ebe- 
nezer Wilson as they were making their way from 
the west to Albany. I paid a portion down on each 
drove to be then delivered at the price stated per 
hundred at his slaughter house for barreling pur- 
poses. After contracting for many droves I re- 
turned to Albany, and as the droves came in we 
selected some of the best and I took them to Bull's 
Head, N. Y., for market. Mr. Wilson barreled a 
little over 6,000 head that season. The whole of his 



280 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

capital was invested in his beef, and the prospects 
being favorable for high prices he naturally held 
on to it. 

"I had frequently spoken of the Herefords in 
high praise to Mr. Wilson, and he, being highly 
pleased with my description, proposed that if I 
would go to England and get credit for a good lot 
when I arrived in New York he would meet me 
there with money enough to pay the whole invest- 
ment, for which he said he would have ample means 
from his returns in the spring. I told him that I 
would do this if I could do it with safety. He 
assured me that I could, and with this promise I 
started. I purchased twenty-two head, paid what 
little money I had of my own and promised to pay 
all on my return to New York. When I arrived I 
found barreled beef had gone down and was much 
depressed, that much of his had soured and was 
unsalable, and he had involved himself so much 
that he was compelled to fail; but he went to the 
Hon. Erastus Corning, told him in what way he 
was situated with me, that he knew my judgment 
was good and that the cattle would therefore be 
superior. 

''On this information Mr. Corning sent Mr. Watts 
Sherman, then cashier of the Albany City Bank, of 
which Mr. C. was president, to examine the cattle 
on board. This gentleman was highly pleased with 
them and drew a draft on Mr. Corning for the whole 
amount. I took them to his farm, and they being 
about the first Herefords ever imported, they raised 
considerable excitement^ but their true merit was 
but little known." 

These cattle were of the old John Hewer blood, 
and included the cow Matchless that had been a 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 281 

prize-winner at the Oxford Royal of 1839. They 
were placed upon Mr. Coming's farm near Albany. 
Speaking of the shipment, ' ' The Albany Cultivator ' ' 
of that period said : 

''One of the most important importations of cattle 
and sheep that has ever taken place in this country 
has been made by the Hon. Erastus Corning, of this 
city, and William H. Sotham, of Jefferson county. 
It consists of twelve cows, calves and heifers and 
twenty-five sheep. The cattle are of the Hereford 
breed from Herefordshire, and the very best animals 
that could be selected. No one can help being struck 
by the extraordinary size of the cows, their fine 
forms and their substantial development, denoting 
strength and power, and showing the basis of the 
reputation which the Herefords formerly had for 
working cattle and now for feeding. The expense 
of the importation was nearly $8,000." 

The following year Mr. Corning sent Sotham after 
another lot, but these were unfortunately lost at 
sea. About this date the New York State Agricul- 
tural Society was organized, several breeders of 
Shorthorns being prominent in its management. 
The Corning cattle were exhibited, a special award 
was made to the cow Matchless, and a committee 
recommended that a regular class be made for them. 
This, it seems, however, was not done for some time, 
whereupon Mr. Sotham criticised sharply the Short- 
horn breeders, the fair managers and various agri- 
cultural writers of the day as being prejudiced 
against the Herefords. 

In a review of the New York State Fair of 1844, 
published in "The Albany Cultivator and Country 



282 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Gentleman," reference to the Hereford exhibit is 

made as follows : 

''The only specimens in this class were eleven head 
from the capital herd of Messrs. Corning & Sotham, 
Albany. These were splendid animals. The two- 
year-old bulls and bull calf, which were all of the 
masculine gender exhibited, were good. They had 
fine limbs, very spacious chests, round bodies, etc. 
Several of the cows were very extraordinary. Per- 
fection is one of the most massive cows of her age 
to be found anywhere, and Ashton Beauty and Vic- 
toria, for beauty and finish, can scarcely be sur- 
passed, if equaled. It is but justice to say that no 
animals on the ground excited more praise than 
these." 

The Herd Sold to Sotham.— Mr. Corning was 
a man of large wealth, deeply engrossed in commer- 
cial and political affairs, and while he had given 
ample proof of his interest in the Herefords, he 
was also a lover and owner of Shorthorns; and as 
a result of irresistible pressure from Shorthorn 
sources, Mr. Sotham asserts, after a few years he 
proposed to sell to the latter all of his ''white faces'* 
with the exception of three heifers, the cow Victoria 
and a bull. Sotham bought and removed them to 
a farm at Black Eock, near Buffalo, where he soon 
became engaged in a controversy over the respec- 
tive merits of the breeds with Lewis F. Allen, then 
a breeder of Shorthorns preparing to start the 
American herd book for that breed and a man as 
aggressive and as much in earnest as his new Eng- 
lish neighbor. 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 283 

The Comings maintained a small herd of Here- 
fords for many years, making several additional im- 
portations. The cow Victoria above mentioned lived 
to be nineteen years of age and produced sixteen 
calves. Mr. Corning also imported a stock bull from 
the Turner herd. Cattle from the herd were fre- 
quently exhibited, and through private sales from 
both this and the Sotham stock the blood was widely 
scattered throughout various states. 

An Invasion of Kentucky. — Sotham moved his 
herd from Black Rock to a farm in the famous Gene- 
see Valley belonging to a banker, Hon. Allen Ay- 
rault, who afterwards acquired some of the cattle. 
Although making frequent changes of location, Mr. 
Sotham maintained Herefords at different places in 
New York State for many years, and upon one occa- 
sion made an exhibit (in the early '70 's) at Louis- 
ville, Ky., in response to a challenge by Cassius M. 
Clay. The Clays, it seems, were unable on account 
of some change in their affairs to make good their 
challenge, so after gaining the prizes offered for 
Herefords and selling a bull to a Lexington land- 
owner for $100, Sotham returned to New York. His 
trade was largely in the east and widely distributed, 
one of his most noteworthy sales being ten head for 
$1,000 to Hon. John Merryman, of Cockeysville, 
Md., who, as appears further on, became one of the 
most prominent American breeders of his day. 

A Militant Pioneer. — Sotham was a thorough- 
going believer in the superiority of the Hereford, 
but he was financially unable to wage as vigorous 



284 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

a war as liis convictions would have dictated. His 
was the not uncommon fate of the courageous path- 
finder. He was as indefatigable in defending Here- 
ford interests as he was active in assailing those 
who failed to confess what he held to be the true 
faith; and while he was for many years a sort of 
John the Baptist, crying vainly in a forbidding wil- 
derness, his voice was heard by some who barkened 
and subsequently became pillars in the Hereford 
church. He died in Chicago in 1884 at the age of 
eighty-three years, leaving a son who subsequently 
became a prominent figure in the American Here- 
ford trade. 

The Maine Importation of 1846.— The state of 
Maine has harbored Herefords continuously since 
their earliest introduction in the east, and has within 
its borders at this writing the oldest American herd 
of which we have record — that of the Messrs. Un- 
derwood. 

The first of the breed to be brought across the 
Atlantic directly to Maine, so far as we can defi- 
nitely ascertain, were two calves imported in 1846 
by Capt. Phineas Pendleton, of Searsport.* At that 
time Capt. Pendleton was master of a vessel en- 

*The author is Indebted to Mr. J. H. Underwood for the codv of 
an old portrait of Capt. Pendleton from which we have had made th' 
engravmg: presented in this volume. Writing of his father Ca^ Frank 
ir'cndleton, of feearsport, says : 

"Capt. Phineas Pendleton was born in Searsport Aug. 29, 1806 and 
died here July 19, 1S95. I cannot tell when he first took command 
of vessels, but very early in life, as he married wh^n ho wns twentv- 
sb;°v''vtars''o?d ^"^^^ ^^"^'"anded vessels of all classesHntil he wL 
out anvthin^ .hn.^^t^''^ ^, ^^^y PHbl'c spirited man. I cannot find 
out anyth ng about the calves he brought from England He has 

?hl^r.°"?- '^''}"^''^^?: '^*^^e "o^' ^"^3 «he is not old enoCflf torernlmbtP 

eilo?ed It^'Jv^n wh°.n^*''^"^w "k^ ^l^?/« ^ad a small farm 3 he 
enjoyea it even when he got to be old. 




Capt. PhineasPendleion 



286 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

gaged in the foreign trade, and it is said that while 
waiting for a cargo in the port of Cardiff, Wales, 
he made journeys into the country and became im- 
pressed with the fine appearance of the white-faced 
cattle seen in that vicinity. He made inquiries of 
stock raisers there about the sort of cattle which 
combined in the highest degree the qualities of milk 
production, beef and working capacity, and was told 
that the Herefords were superior in this respect. 
Deciding to take home a pair for breeding purposes 
the captain engaged the services of a Cardiff 
butcher, who was well acquainted with the cattle 
raisers, to assist him in making a selection of a pure- 
bred bull and heifer of the first quality. The pur- 
chases were made from two different herds. The 
butcher who suggested the selections named the bull 
calf Kimroe and the heifer Kitty. 

There is an entry in the old private herd record 
of the Messrs. Underwood that ''the sire of Kimroe 
and Kitty was a mature bull, weighing 2,400 
pounds." Speaking of this memorandum Mr. J. H. 
Underwood in a letter to the author says : 

''The herd of James Eea, of Monaughty, Knigh- 
ton, Wales, was noted for its scale as well as for 
excellences in conformation. In the early '40 's the 
famous Monaughty, sired by Old Court, was used 
in his herd. In view of the very unusual size (2,400 
pounds) of the sire of Kimroe and Kitty, I have 
wondered whether this bull might not have been 
Monaughty, or, at least, a bull of Mr. Rea 's breed- 
ing. ' ' 

This, of course, is purely speculative, as no pedi- 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 287 

grees were obtained by Capt. Pendleton; moreover, 
in those days 2,400 pounds was by no means a heavy 
weight for a Hereford bull in England. 

This bull Kimroe proved useful until sixteen years 
of age, his progeny so nearly meeting the require- 
ments of the Maine farmers of that period that a 
preference for the ''white faces" as against the 
Shorthorns soon made itself manifest. This fact is 
substantiated by Mr. Burleigh in the course of the 
article, from which we have quoted above, as fol- 
lows: 

''It was not until 1854 that any stockman had the 
courage to take a Hereford bull upon the sacred 
Shorthorn soil of my native town (Fairfield), as 
Shorthorns had held full and undoubted sway there. 
But Henry Lawrence, who was a great judge of 
cattle, conceived the idea of buying the old Pendle- 
ton (Hereford) bull Kimroe, then fifteen years old. 
Quite a number of the best stockmen patronized him 
largely because they had great faith in Mr. Law- 
rence's judgment, not from the appearance of the 
bull, for the poor fellow had had rough usage since 
he left his home near Cardiff, South Wales. This 
poor old bull was used one season and died, but 
his progeny were not prepossessing in appearance 
at a tender age, say up to two years old, yet their 
feeding qualities and net weight were the means of 
converting many a 'Shorthorner,' of which number 
the writer of this article was one." 

Convincing testimony as to the excellence of the 
stock left by this old-time bull has been handed down 
by Mr. Burleigh. He says : 

"In 1856, although a strong and ardent admirer 
of Shorthorns, which breed of cattle I had bred, 



288 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

handled and fattened from boyhood, I happened by 
mere chance to obtain some of Kimroe 's stock, i. e., 
steers of his get, others by sons of him. They fed 
so rapidly, weighed so heavily and were of such 
wonderful quality I could hardly believe that my 
vision was quite right. After being thoroughly con- 
vinced of the fact that my sight was all right, then 
I thought I would almost decide to go largely into 
Herefords, when, ever and anon, my long cherished 
idea of the perfect animal, the Shorthorn, would 
cause me for a time to delay my purpose, but not 
long. I started to breed Herefords in earnest — 
after feeding Hereford steers about eight years — 
in 1866." 

Soon after importation Kimroe and Kitty passed 
into the hands of John Heagan, of North Prospect, 
Me. Kitty produced four calves by Kimroe. Her 
second calf, Victoria, born in 1849, and her third 
calf, Waldo, born in 1850, were owned by Samuel S. 
Heagan and in March, 1853, were sold to Joseph 
Hall Underwood and became the foundation of a 
herd still in existence.* Victoria is described as *'a 



•The author is indebted to Mr. J. H. Underwood for photographs 
of his grandfather and the two sons George and Gilbert, and for 
certain data of a biographical nature. The portraits are presented 
along with one, supplied at our request, of tlie surviving member of 
this old-time New England Hereford-loving family, and we are sure 
that the few notes of a personal nature herewith appended will be 
found of interest: 

Joseph H. Underwood was born in Amherst, N. H., June 13, 1783, 
and died at Fayette, Me., Nov. 8, 1867. He came to Maine about 1800, 
taught school and finally located in Fayette, where he began a mer- 
cantile business which was followed more than fifty-five years. He 
was also financially interested in tanning, wool-carding and cloth- 
dressing, was an extensive owner of real estate and carried on a 
large farm, raised cattle and fatted oxen. In March, 1853, he bought 
and brought to his farm in Fayette a purebred Hereford bull and 
cow, and continued breeding Hereford cattle till 1866, when his sons, 
George and Gilbert, formed a partnership and took over their father's 
herd. 

A serenading party once had an experience with Mr. Underwood's 
humor. His son, Albert G. Underwood, had been recently married, 
and on a certain evening it was supposed by the serenaders that 
Albert and his bride were at the old homestead. The newly married 




Geo. Underwood 



(J. H. Underwood 



290 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

COW of medium size, of fair milk capacity, an easy 
milker, and tractable in disposition." Victoria's 
breeding to Waldo, a full brother, was not satisfac- 
tory, although two cows. Rose and Lily, produced 
by this incestuous coupling, proved to be excellent 
breeders when subsequently mated with Cronkhill 
2d, a bull that Mr. Underwood bought from Messrs. 
Clark, of West Granby, Mass., in 1859. In 1860, 
Victoria was bred to Cronkhill 2d and by him, on 
May 29, 1861, gave birth to a heifer calf named Hor- 
tense. A bull called Albany, bought of Erastus 
Corning, of Albany, N. Y., was used in the herd in 
1864. Hortense was bred to Albany and produced 
Leonora, calved March 1, 1865. Leonora was sold 
to Moses B. Bailey, Strong, Me., and by him was 
bred to Chieftain, producing President 2058. Presi- 

people, however, had just gone away, and the only married people in 
the house were Albert's father and mother. At the close of the sere- 
nade, Mr. Underwood stepped to the door and thanked the boys for 
the music, saying, "I think Uncle Rufus Walton would also very 
much appreciate a serenade, as he has been married since I was." 

Like Miles Standish, Mr. Underwood believed that if a man wanted 
a thing done well, he should do it himself. In 1838, when the home- 
stead at Fayette was built, Mr. Underwood was present to give per- 
sonal attention to the work, and every brick in the walls of the house 
passed through his hands for inspection. The condition of the house 
at the present time proves the wisdom of his careful oversight. No 
paint or preservative of any sort has been used on the walls, yet not 
a single brick shows indication of deterioration, both mortar and 
brick remaining firm and smooth after weathering the storms and 
frosts of seventy-five years. 

An incident showing his practical sense was the remark made to 
his son George at the time the latter was about to go to Guelph, On- 
tario, to buy a herd bull (Wellington Hero). Mr. Underwood said, 
"Don't expect to find one without faults, but buy the one that has the 
fewest." 

George Underwood was born Sent. 20, 1834, and died at Favette, 
Dec. 8. 1906. In early life he taught school. In 1857 he was in' Chi- 
cago, but remained in that city only a brief period. In the early '60's 
he was again in Fayette, carrying on his father's farm and giving 
personal attention to the management of his fathc's he'-d of Hereford 
cat+le. In 1865 he visited the Hereford he^d of T^rederick William 
Ston^^. Guelph, Ontario, and bought the Hereford bull Wellington Hero. 
At this time Joseph H. Underwood on account of advanced age trans- 
ferred the herd to his sons George and Gilbert, and the calves of 1866 
are listed in the private herd book as bred by G. & G. Underwood. 




-WHERE THE HEREFORDS FOUND WATER IN SUMMERTIME. 2- 
OLD MILL AND WINTER WATERING PLACE. 3— THE HOME 
OF JOSEPH HALL UNDERWOOD. 



292 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

dent sired Rose Bud 6606, the maternal grandam 
of the $9,000 bull Perfection 92891. The dam of Rose 
Bud 6606 was Carrabassett Rose 2120, by Kenne- 
bec Hero 2100, whose dam was Bessie; and Bessie's 
dam was Hortense out of old Victoria. Thus we 
see that Perfection, sire of the now-famous Perfec- 
tion Fairfax, traces back in one of his lines to the 
Maine sea captain's importation of 1846. 

The Bailey bull Chieftain, above mentioned, came 
from the herd of Frederick William Stone, More- 
ton Lodge, Guelph, Ontario, presently to be noted. 
In 1869, probably at the time when George Under- 
wood purchased Ontario Chief and Gentle 10th, Mr. 
Stone sold to Mr. Bailey a young bull that died soon 
after delivery to him, and Mr. Stone on learning of 
the fact at once replaced the dead bull with the bull 

Again in 1869 George Underwood went to Guelph and bought of Mr. 
Stone the young bull Ontario Chief and the heifer Gentle 10th. The 
introduction of these animals materially strengthened the herd, and 
the years Immediately following were prosperous. About 1876 illness 
interfered with his active management of the herd and Gilbert Under- 
wood assumed the duties of carrying on the farm. The partnership 
was soon dissolved and George Underwood, hoping by a change of 
climate to improve his health, removed to Virginia, taking there his 
portion of the herd in 1879. Failing to receive permanent benefit from 
the Virginia climate, he shortly returned to Maine, his cattle having 
been sold to a western buyer. During his latter years, although re- 
taining all his real estate in Fayette, George Underwood was not en- 
gaged in farming. 

He was well known as a correspondent of agricultural papers, and 
a recognized authority on cattle breeding. In the selection of breed- 
ing cattle he placed special stress on the form of the head and the 
expression of the countenance. He was wont also to pay more atten- 
tion to the limbs than some breeders, insisting on short legs, muscular 
above the middle joint and strong-boned (not large-boned) below. 
The animal's style and symmetry meant much to him, and coarseness, 
which often accompanies large size, was absolutely tabooed. As a 
stockman, George Underwood's continual aspiration and endeavor 
seems to have been to combine constitution, feed-capacity and beefi- 
ness with those animal attributes which appeal to the artistic tem- 
perament. 

Gilbert Underwood, youngest son of Joseph H. Underwood, was 
born at Fayette, Me., Dec. 11, 1835, and practically his entire life 
was passed in the locality of his birth. He grew up in a cattle-raising 
atmosphere training white-faced steers to the yoke, and in winter 
with his steer teams he hauled to the homestead the annual fuel sup- 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 293 

calf Chieftain, although under no legal obligation to 
do so. Mr. Stone's letters to George Underwood on 
this occasion show him to have been a man of ster- 
ling moral worth. 

At the New England Fair of 1870, held at Man- 
chester, N. H., the Underwoods gained first prize 
for "best Hereford bull five years old or over," and 
at the same show first and second prizes for fat 
cattle in the Hereford class were won respectively 
by Jonathan Slade, of Somerset, and Frank Jones, 
Portsmouth, N. H. In the class for ''working oxen, 
four years old," Arthur Clough, Canterbury, N. H., 
was first, and Harvey Dodge, Sutton, Mass., second. 
These instances are cited by way of illustrating 

ply, forty cords of hardwood. The Underwood homestead contained 
thirteen fireplaces. 

Gilbert Underwood possessed a temperament adapted to the suc- 
cessful handling of animals, and he became an expert ox teamster. 
The Hereford herd bulls were usually trained to the yoke and per- 
formed a vast amount of farm work in place of oxen. The most 
notable of these bull teams were Ontario Chief and his mate, Pride 
of Kennebec. Both these bulls worked single as well as double, and 
many a time Mr. Underwood has taken in the single yoke one of 
these bulls to a steep hill near his home where a four-horse team was 
"stuck," and the old bull would haul the discouraged horses into the 
breeching. 

On the dissolution of the partnership of G. & G. Underwood, Gilbert 
Underwood in 1877 constructed farm buildings convenient to his por- 
tion of the farm lands and there established his herd. His part of 
the breeding herd comprised four cows — two sired by Wellington Hero 
and two by Ontario Chief. One of the Ontario Chief cows. Alberta 
2d, is worthy of special notice. She was a strictly hay and grass 
product, probably never in her entire life having eaten 500 pounds of 
grain, yet she was always in first-class beef condition and when her 
breeding usefulness was passed yielded a carcass of prime beef, dress- 
ing 975 pounds. At the head of this herd in 1880 Gilbert Underwood 
placed Paragon 3d, a bull bred by Frederick William Stone. Four 
years later Paragon 3d was followed by Eastern Prince, a grandson of 
Assurance by Longhorns, and in 1888 Eastern Prince was replaced by 
Careful 2d, a meritorious bull of Burleigh & Bodwell breeding. The 
next bull leaving a marked impress on the herd was Roanoke, a, grand- 
son of Sir Evelyn, by Lord Wilton, which remained in the herd until 
1905. During the last forty years the herd bulls, with one or two ex- 
ceptions, have represented in conformation the same general type — 
smooth, compact and low-set. The Underwood type was fine-boned, 
filled and finished. 

Gilbert Underwood died at his home in Fayette on Nov. 22, 1907. 
He was a man of unusual personal magnetism. Children felt at ease 
in his presence, and animals were instinctively drawn to him. 



294 A HISTORY OF HEREP^ORD CATTLE 

classifications in vogue at that time. New England 
farmers still take great pride in exhibiting choice 
oxen broken for the yoke. 

Other Old-Time Eastern Breeders. — It would be 
interesting to trace in detail the breeding operations 
of many of these sturdy old pioneer New England 
breeders but space forbids. In addition to the Un- 
derwoods and Burleighs the names of such good 
farmers and cattlemen as the following are met 
with: Messrs. G. E. Shores, Waterville; W. P. 
Blake, Walnut Hill; N. H. Churchill, Parsonsfield; 
Messrs. Wentworth, Skowhegan ; Col. Perley, Bridg- 
ton; L. W. Flint, Waterford; E. R. Holmes, AVelcli- 
ville; Ellridge Dill, Phillips; Messrs. Bailey, Win- 
throp Centre; A. J. Libby, Oakland; M. French, 
Solon; C. W. Hammond, Aroostook; C. A. McKin- 
ney, Monroe, and J. S. Hawes, So. Vassalboro, all 
of the state of Maine. Hawes later removed to 
Kansas where he maintained for some years a large 
herd famous at one time as the home of the noted 
show bull Fortune.* Mr. H. C. Burleigh, of Fair- 
field, was the first of the family of that name that 
engaged extensively in the breeding, importing and 
exhibition of Herefords, and his operations will 

*In a letter written in 1S65 by Mr. R. M. Littlefield, Afton, N. Y., 
to Mr. George Underwood of Maine we find the following interesting 
references : 

"I have two bulls that wMll be two this coining spring. I will sell 
either of them. Duke of Afton is good sized, dark red, white face, 
line back from a good stock of milkers, girths five feet and six 
inches, has been fed on grain this winter. Price for him $250. 
Sprightly is lighter red, good size, girth five feet and eight inches, 
white face. There are two strips of white on the back, but they 
do not meet. 

"I obtained iny Herefords from William H. Sotham when he was 
breeding them at Owego. Mr. Sotham informs me that the light red 
Herefords take more prizes in England than the darker ones. Color 
is a matter of taste with breeders." 




\T/io/n<isff.Bur/eigh\ 



I Joseph R.Bodgie/l \ 



296 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

come in for further notice later on. He exhibited 
at the New England shows at the time Shorthorns 
were being presented by such men as Sumner, Pratt, 
Griswold and their contemporaries. 

Mr. Burleigh tells the story of the struggle the 
Herefords had in winning their way into popular 
favor in New England in the following language : 

''These cattle, like the next importations by 
Sotham & Corning, Albany, N. Y., all met terrible 
opposition by Shorthorn men, of which your humble 
scribe was one. Never in the historj^ of any state 
did the worthy 'red with white faces' have stronger 
opposition than in the 'Dirigo State.' But when 
we look back and see the Shorthorn blood they had 
to contend against, the best in the known world — 
such bulls as Young Denton, Comet, Fitz Favourite, 
and a host of others which stood within three miles 
of my door in the great grass valley of the Kenne- 
bec — you will admit with me the little 'white-faced 
pilgrims' had a hard, nay an unequal, battle to fight. 
It seemed almost like marching a little army of un- 
trained volunteers against a mighty host of veter- 
ans strongly entrenched behind fortifications of 
years in building. But what a mighty change has 
been wrought in a half-century and less. A few 
men had courage to try the Herefords; among them 
were Mr. Joseph Underwood, of Fayette, Me., and 
Wingate Hains, of Hallowell, Me. The former's en- 
terprising sons, G. & G. Underwood, still are breed- 
ing a large fine herd, and it is a treat to a Hereford 
man to sit before the open wood fire on a winter 
evening at their hospitable home and listen as they 
relate their earliest experiences (as boys) with 
Hereford steers." 

The states of Vermont and New Hampshire also 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 297 

have a place of honor in the Hereford column. They 
not only contributed to the upbuilding of the breed 
in New England in the old days, but in many locali- 
ties the farmers are still fond of their white-faced 
steers. 

The Chamberlain Importation. — The Messrs. 
Clark of West Granby were pioneer breeders in 
Massachusetts, and exhibited Herefords at the state 
fair held in Boston in 1858. The report of the award- 
ing committee upon that occasion stated that "most 
of these were derived from stock imported from 
England by William Chamberlain of Red Hook, 
N. Y., although one was purchased of Mr. Sotham 
of Owego, N. Y." We can find no record as to 
the date of this Chamberlain importation, but it 
has been placed at about 1849. Mr. George Under- 
wood at one time communicated with a daughter of 
Mr. Chamberlain in an eifort to obtain definite in- 
formation as to this importation, but obtained noth- 
ing further than the mere statement that "the cow 
Fanny was purchased through a reliable London 
house as a purebred Hereford." It is regarded as 
probable that Mr. Clark bought these cattle of Mr. 
Chamberlain about 1855, including a bull out of im- 
ported Fanny that was the sire of Fanny 2d. 

The awarding committee at this fair spoke of the 
young cow Miss Sotham, to which they awarded the 
first prize, as "a very fine cow, compact, symmet 
rical, hardy and of first-rate handling quality. She 
had a fine bull calf by her side by Cronkhill 3d, bred 
by Mr. Dowley. " Second prize was given to the 
cow Fanny, imported by Mr. Chamberlain. She is 



298 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

described as ''large, with good frame and constitu- 
tion, an excellent hide and coat, shown in rather low 
condition, with a beautiful heifer calf at side by 
Cronkhill." 

Dowley Importation of 1852.— In the fifth an- 
nual report of the Secretary of the Massachusetts 
State Board of Agriculture, published in 1858, there 
is an account of the state fair and cattle show held 
in Boston, accompanied by reviews of the various 
breeds on exhibition, including the Herefords. In 
the course of these references it is stated that "Hon. 
L. A. Dowley of Boston in 1852 imported a bull and 
two heifers which were placed on his farm at Brat- 
tleboro, Vt. They were both bred by Lord Ber- 
wick." It is further stated that "the Herefords 
owned by the state, and kept at the station farm at 
Westboro, are from the Dowley importation. Cronk- 
hill 3d was sired by Cronkhill, imported in 1852 from 
Lord Berwick's stock. His dam was Milton, im- 
ported at the same time with Cronkhill. The heifer 
Cora, also out of Milton and by Cronkhill, is now 
two years old. She is a fine specimen of the breed, 
possessing remarkable beauty and symmetry of 
form." Again it is stated that "the Dowley herd, 
now owned by Mr. Goodell of Brattleboro, Vt., the 
herd of Mr. Clark of Boston kept at Granby, and 
those of Messrs. Sotliam and Corning of New York 
are perhaps the most widely known of any in this 
country." 

At this fair these Dowley cattle, Cronkhill 3d, 
then a yearling bull, the cow imported Milton, then 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 299 

seven years old and her two-year-old heifer Cora 
and a heifer calf eight months old were entered ' ' for 
exhibition only" from the state farm. The only 
other purebred Herefords on exhibition were those 
of Mr. 0. C. Clark, and included the imported Cham- 
berlain cow Fanny then nine years old, the four- 
year-old Fanny 2d, the three-year-old Miss Sotham, 
the six-year-old Miss Wheeler and the yearling bull 
Granby. Steers were shown by Thomas J. Field, 
Northfield, Mass. 

It is recorded in the report of this fair that the 
cow Milton and the heifer Cora were purchased at 
the Dowley sale in 1855. Milton is described as ''a 
cow of much substance and fine symmetry, with the 
exception of a little deficiency in the flanks. The 
heifer is a superior animal, is almost perfect in sym- 
metry and as a grazier seldom equalled. The bull is 
large, of good constitution, generally well made, but 
with hardly the fullness of eye or the mellowness of 
skin that is so desirable. The heifer calf is very 
promising. ' ' Milton and Cora were afterwards sold 
to Hon. John Merryman of Maryland, as will appear 
further on. 

The Ohio Importation of 1852. — The second 
direct importation of Herefords made into a mid- 
west state was by two English farmers residing in 
the vicinity of Elyria, 0., John Humphries and 
Thomas Aston. We are permitted to reproduce here 
Mr. Aston 's business card as used in England. 

From this it appears that the latter was a Mon- 
mouth Imtcher before comina: out to trv his fortune 



300 



A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



in the New World. Needless to say, therefore, he 
knew the Herefords. As a pioneer in the great new 
field opened up to the ** white faces,'* largely as a re- 
sult of his enterprise, so much interest attaches to 
this importation that the author makes no apology 
for the introduction at this point of the following 









M'.'.' SENT TO ALl. PARTS OF MONMDU''H AND N E I CH B OU R KO-OO, 



THOMAS ASTONS BUSINESS CARD. 



sketch of Mr. Aston, kindly prepared by Mrs. Hor- 
ace Abbe, a daughter residing at Elyria : 

"Thomas Aston was born Nov. 1, 1814, near Cole- 
ford, Gloucestershire, England. As a boy he was 
raised on a farm. Tom, his brothers and fourteen 
horses were sent to work in the coal mines about 
three miles distant in the winter months, where they 
would see daylight only on the Sundays. When 
about sixteen years of age Tom was sent as an ap- 
prentice to the butchering business at Monmouth, 
where he was employed for five years. At the age 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 301 

of 21 he was married to May Ann Brownel. He 
wished at this time to go to America, but his mother 
not favoring this proposition, they started for them- 
selves in the meat business in Monmouth, where 
they were very successful. Still wishing for broader 
fields and larger possibilities for the growing fam- 
ily of eight children, they decided to come to Amer- 
ica. He engaged passage on a new sailing vessel 
named 'Mary Ann,' about to make her second trip. 
Mr. Aston liad the ship partitioned off for his fam- 
ily and a few friends. 

''They sailed April 17, 1852, from Bristol, Eng- 
land, and brought with them seven head of thorough- 
bred Hereford cattle, fourteen Cotswold sheep, two 
shepherd dogs and over two tons of luggage. Seven 
weeks and three days were consumed in crossing the 
Atlantic, consequently their stock of provisions be- 
came short and the cattle had to be fed on sea bis- 
cuits soaked in cold water and on which they seemed 
to thrive. After this long and severe journey, dur- 
ing which they lost two of their beautiful herd, they 
landed in New York. 

"Mr. Aston left his family in Oswego county, pur- 
chased a horse and buggy and drove through the 
country seeking a suitable place to locate. As the 
result of this preliminary trip he purchased a farm 
about two miles east of Elyria, Lorain Co., 0., where 
he resided eighteen j^ears. Mr. Aston was one of 
the first importers of Hereford cattle, and became 
a very successful breeder, having exhibited at fairs 
in thirteen different states. His animals were among 
the leading prize-winners, some of them sweepstakes 
over any breed or age, some premiums being given 
in silver service and medals. The family has now 
in possession several pieces of solid silver and a 
number of silver and bronze medals so won. 



I 



302 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

"In those early days the Herefords raised the 
fattest calves, and were earliest of maturity. Mr. 
Aston took great pride in having the handsomest 
and fattest steers for the Christmas show in the city 
of Cleveland, fattening them especially for the lead- 
ing meat dealers and getting for them the best pos 
sible prices. He crossed the Atlantic six times, tlie 
last time in 1870, with his wife, two sons and one 
daughter, locating again in Monmouth and later on 
at Wyshem, Herefordshire, where he died Feb. 20, 
1894, at the age of seventy-nine years. ' ' 

John Humphries was born in Somersetshire, Eng- 
land, Aug. 8, 1795. He was married in 1817 and was 
the father of several children, all now dead. He 
was always a farmer and breeder of cattle. While 
living in England he kept Shorthorns until he be- 
came convinced of the superior qualities of the Here- 
fords. Deciding at length to emigrate to America, 
where he hoped to buy a large farm of his own, he 
got in touch with his friend, Mr. Aston, and they 
agreed to come out together. With characteristic 
English appreciation of the necessity of stock-keep- 
ing as a means of maintaining the fertility of the 
soil, they proceeded to purchase for joint account 
seven Herefords and fourteen Cotswold sheep. This 
determination on their part in the face of the seri- 
ousness of their undertaking at that date presents 
at this distance a pleasing picture of British de- 
termination and courage. They did not even know 
their own ultimate destination. The New World 
was to them virtually terra incognita. The North 
Atlantic, to be traversed with difficulty and discom- 



FIRST AMERICx^N IMPORTATIONS 303 

fort in an ordinary sailing vessel, rolled between 
their native land and the American coast. 

A granddaughter of John Humphries, Mrs. Jen- 
nie E. Thornton, writing to the author concerning 
this undertaking, corroborates the statement above 
quoted from Mr. Aston 's daughter, in regard to the 
hardships suffered. Not only was a stormy voyage 
of seven weeks experienced, in the course of whicli 
two of the Herefords were lost, but as the ship was 
inadequately manned the male passengers were often 
called upon to help set or furl the sails and perform 
other work of sailors. They were on the water much 
longer than had been anticipated and the ship's 
provisions ran short, but thanks to the liberal sup- 
phes brought by Messrs. Humphries and Aston, all 
hands, as well as the surviving cattle, were fed. 
They arrived in New York harbor early in June, 
1852, and soon afterwards set out on their journey 
into the west, locating as near neighl^ors in the vicin- 
ity of Elyria, 0. The cattle and sheep were at once 
divided and the stock-raising operations pursued in- 
dependently, though always with mutual accommo- 
dation. 

We are able to present in this connection an inter- 
esting old portrait of Mr. Aston, but unfortunately 
there is none available of his worthy partner in 
this enterprise, Mr. Humphries. Moreover, we are 
without any very explicit details as to their Here- 
fords. 

We know that in 1852 they landed the bulls Curly 
14, bred by Roberts of Ivingtonbury, and Prince 



304 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Albert 477, bred by Yeomans of Stretton Court, and 
the heifers Victoria 478 and Duchess 15. Curly 
traced through Fairboy 28, Sir Andrew 54 and Con- 
queror 97, to Wellington 160, of Ben Tomkins' 
breeding and became Aston 's property. Prince Al- 
bert was by Voltigeur 489, and was taken by Mr. 
Humphries. Victoria, bred by Mr. Bowen of Monk- 
land, Leominster, also became Mr. Humphries' prop- 
erty. Duchess was retained by Aston. Both heifers 
came from the Bowen herd and both carried sound 
old blood derived from the herd of James Eea, of 
Monaughty. And what is more to the point, they 
both proved prolific* 

Early Exhibits by Mr. Aston.— In 1856, Mr. 
Aston exhibited his cattle at Pittsburg, Pa., at the 
United States show at Philadelphia, and at Balti- 

*We have been furnished by Mrs. Abbe with a copy of the diary 
kept by Mr. Aston on this memorable voyage. In view of the real 
importance of this siiipment of cattle as one of the basic incidents 
connected with the introduction of Hereford cattle into the western 
states, we reproduce this interesting account of the long journey just 
as it was set down at the time. We quote : 

MY PASSAGE TO AMERICA — 1852. 

Saturday, 17th of April. Came to King's Head Hotel and staid 
all night. 

Sunday, the 18th. Sailed, with wind favorable at six In the morn- 
ing. 

Monday, the 19th. Lost sight of land. With wind favorable, all 
is going on very comfortably. 

Tuesday, the 20th. The wind changed to westward, blowing very 
hard with rain. Night brought on a heavy gale. Waves rolling heav- 
ily, tossing all our boxes and packages one over the other, and knock- 
ing our poor beasts about the deck in a dreadful manner. One of the 
cows was dead in the morning, and the other cow almost dead. Was 
obliged to kill her. The others were very much bruised. 

Wednesday, the 21st. Still blowing very hard, and the sea very 
high. Not able to keep anything steady without lashing. Several 
of the poor passengers very sick. 

Thursday, the 22nd. Wind a little more favorable, but making 
much speed. The captain afraid to put on too much canvas. 

Friday the 23rd. A fine clear morning, but sadly frightened. 
The cook's apartment set on fire and would have been very serious 
had it not been put out in time. 

Saturday, the 24th. With wind favorable saw a whale at a dis- 
tance, blowing the water very high. Closed the evening with music 
and dancing. About 500 miles from Bristol. 

Sunday, the 25th. Almost a calm. A steamer passed very close to 




THOMAS ASTON. 



306 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

more, Md., where he sold the bull Curly to a (^ol. 
Prince of that city. During this same year Mr. 
Humphries made a show at the New York State 
Fair. In 1857 Mr. Aston made a tour of the western 
shows, exhibiting at Freeport, 111., Chicago and St. 
Louis. This same vear he exhibited also at Detroit 



us and spoke to our captain who told him the name of our vessel. 
We liad prayers on deck at eleven in the morning and at six in the 
evening. 

Monday, the 26th. Weather fine, but the wind unfavorable. All 
going on well. Busy with the captain giving the passengers allowance. 

luesday, the 2 7th. Rain. Wind blowing southward, and rough 
sea. Passed a boat bound for England. I killed a sheep and sold 
part of it to the passengers. 

Wednesday, the 2Sth. Very rough and windy, blowing southwest, 
but fine. Some of the passengers seem to recover from their sickness. 
I and all my family suffered very much from sickness for nearly a 
fortnight, the girls and my wife much longer. 

Thursday, the 29th. W^ind northwest, blowing very cold, and rough 
sea. The most favorable wind we have been out in. Sailing about 7 
knots an hour. 

Friday, the 30th. Wind changes again southwest. The steward's 
mate robbed the cabin of some money, for which he received a dozen 
lashes and the captain made him parade the deck with "thief" written 
on his back for punishment. 

Saturday, May the 1st: Cold and wet. We passed two vessels 
bound for some English port. Came on a heavy gale in the evening 
and lasted all night. 

Sunday, the 2nd. The sea very rough and the waves rolling very 
high and breaking over the deck. Obliged to lash down all our things. 
Sat down to biscuit and cheese for dinner, the waves putting out all 
the tire in the cook's house, and could not have any service in con- 
sequence. 

Monday, the 3rd. Rather calmer, with the wind unfavorable. Saw 
a lot of porpoises rolling and tumbling vcrv much. The captain 
gave out the allowance to the passengers. We have not seen any 
land .since the ISth of April. 

Tuesday, the 4th. Southwest wind blowing very strong and the 
sea rolling heavy, washing over the deck. 

Wednesday, the 5th. The wind blowing and sea rolling very high. 
Very cold, but no danger. Our poor beasts very much knocked about. 

"Thursday, the 6th. A rainy day and cold. 

Friday, the 7th. In the morning the wind better and more favor- 
able, but cold. Supposed to be 1,000 miles from home. 

Saturday, the 8th. Wet and cold, with hail storms. A gale came 
on in the morning and throwed one of Mr. Williams' children out of 
bed from the top berth. This ends a week of rough weather. 

Sunday, the 9th. Fine and calmer. Held prayer meeting in 
our apartments. Mr. Goslin read prayers and Mr. Williams and we 
answered him, as did Clerk. 

Monday, the 10th. Dry and calm westward. Going about 6 knots 
an hour, the captain giving out the week's allowance. 

Tuesday, the 11th. Fine and mild. The wind a little more favor- 
able. 

Wednesday, the 12th. The wind southwest and a calm sea. Saw 
a vessel at a distance, bound for England. All going on well. Going 
about 7 knots. 

Thursdav, the 13th. Wind northwest. Captain put down the lead 
70 fathoms, but found no bottom. Also let down a bottle of fresh 



FIRST ARFERICAN IMPORTATIONS ;{07 

1(1 ZanesviJJp, (). Fn 185S he had cattlp at Rioli- 
011(1, WiiiclK^stcr and Norfolk, \'a., as well as at 
etersburg, N. 0. In 1860 lie made exhibits at the 
hio and Kentucky state fairs. 
Mr. Walter M. Morgan, afterwards a breeder of 
'oininenee in Kansas, a son-in-law of Mr. Aston, 

.ter, the cork sealed. Came back with the cork forced in. Came 
the contrary \va>- and tilled with .salt water. 

Friday, the 14th. Fine but very cold, the wind northwest. Going 

more favoraljly, the most of us reeovt^ring from our sickness. 

Saturday, the 15tli. We made the sailors a jolly good plum pud- 
ig for their dinner, for their good conduct. Messrs. Williams, 
slin, Humi hries and myself fotmd the ingredients between us, for 
lich th \v were very thankful. 

Suncax', the 16th. On the banks of Newfoundland. Supposed to 

about 1,200 miles from New York, -400 miles across the banks, and 
3 after. We had a prayer meeting, morning and evening, in 
r apartments. 

Monday, the 17th. Cold, foggy day, which it is always in this part 

the ocean. We were obliged to keep a watch on deck, blowing 
horn for fear some ship should come into us. A great place for 
ifish. 

Tuesday, the ISIh. Passed a fisherman's brig fishing for cod. 
D let down our boat and the mate and a few others went and 
light several fish with them and sold them again to the passen- 
;-s, and we sat down to a dinner of nice fresh cod, which we 
joyed much. 

Wednesday, the 19tli. We witnessed a funeral at sea. A child 
out 12 months old belonging to a man of the name of Morgan, 
im Langarsen, died on the night before. It had been ill some time 
Core. Put it in a coffin with something to sink it, the captain 
iding the burial service. 

Thursday, the 2 0th. Cold, wet and foggy, something like a No- 
nber day. The horn obliged to be blown all day, not being able to 
i many yards before us. The bottom about 40 fathoms, that is, 
3 yards. 

Friday, the 21st. Cold and foggy in the morning. Cleared up in 

I evening. Supposed to be getting off the banks, but have seen no 
id. Nice and calm. 

Saturday, the 2 2nd. Nice bright morn, and warmer. Put down 
i lead, but found no bottom. 

Sunday, the 23rd. The wind a little westward. Held a prayer 
•eting in our apartment and sang several Psalms. 

Monday, the 24th. The wind a little more easterly. Getting wish- 
to be at our journey's end. Have been out upward of 5 weeks 
i have seen no land. The wind very unfavorable. Captain giving 
t the food. Mr. Williams went on deck and the wind blew his 
t overboard, and others', 15 in number. 

Tuesday, the 2 5th. The wind changed again, wet and cold, 
ing about 6 knots. One passenger very ill. Ourselves have had 
ds. 

Wednesday, the 26th. Fine and milder. Saw a vessel in the 
stance which made toward us, our captain asking her name. It 

s the (jeorge Brownell, bound for New York, came from France. 

II of inmiigrants, about 400 in number. We gave her three cheers 
d parted. 

Thursday, the 27th. Fine mild day. Saw a piece of timber up- 
:ht In the sea, supposed to be a wreck, part of some vessel. 
Friday, the 28th. Fine and mild, the wind westward. Still see 



308 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

was with the cattle on these tours and says that they 
were unusually successful in winning prizes. 

Importation of 1860. — In 1860 Messrs. Humph- 
ries and Aston made a second shipment, including 
the bulls John Bull 464, Chancellor 472 and a heifer 
that never bred. These were safely landed, but 
several other animals succumbed to the rigors of 
the Atlantic passage, then a long and trying trip. 
John Bull was from the herd of E. Price of Pem- 
bridge and sired by Goldfinder 2d out of Prettymaid 
473. Chancellor was by The Grove 62, by Sir David. 

During the '60 's Aston bought the bulls Captain 6 
and Golden Drop 457 from Frederick William Stone 

a lot of porpoises rolling and tumbling. We tried a harpoon in one 
but missed. 

Saturday, the 29th. Fine and getting on the St. George Shoals. 
Another sand bank. Found bottom at 40 fathoms, about 350 miles 
from New York. 

Sunday, the 30th. On St. George Shoals. Quite foggy, obliged 
to blow the horn again. Found bottom at 36 fathoms. Held prayer 
meeting. 

Monday, the 31st. Fine and clear. Saw three whales at a distance. 
Our water supply getting short, 2 quarts instead of 3, and no wind 
to get on. 

Tuesday, June the 1st. Fine and clear. Saw several porpoises 
and seven dolphins. The mate caught one with a fishhook. Saw a 
number of black fish 5 or 6 feet long, regular customers with large 
heads. Very best wind. Going a little north. Had a little music 
this eve. At 11 o'clock we harpooned a fine porpoise weighing about 
100 pounds or more. It caused a great uproar in the vessel, all the 
passengers getting up and coming on deck to see the large sea pig. 
It was very well worth seeing. 

Wednesday, the 2nd. Very fine, too. Cut up the porpoise early. 
Some of the passengers had some of it for their breakfasts. A great 
part of the fish is very much like a pig, only much handsomer. It 
was very fat. About midday the wind blew very hard, which made" 
us nearly all very ill. Went to bed without any supper. 

Thursday, the 3rd. Very fine weather. A strong wind. At about 
5 o'clock there was a great outcry to see the pilot, who had come on 
board, which was very good news for us. The day is very fine. 
About 130 miles from New York, when he came on board. 

Friday, the 4th. We engaged a steam tug to tow us in. Then we 
began to see land, which was a pleasing sight to us. Some of the 
poor passengers were getting rather short of food, as were our cattle 
and sheep. One of the Hereford heifers died, and we were obliged 
to throw her overboard. 

Saturday, the 5th. We came in sight of place called quarantine 
ground, and New York harbor, as handsome a place as I ever saw. 
Our ship lay there until Monday, the 7th, when we all landed, having 
been seven weeks and three days on cur journey. 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 309 

of Canada, the former by imp. Sailor 12 and the 
latter by Guelph 461. 

Mr. Aston sold out and returned to England to 
live in 1870. By that time the Hereford had become 
a familiar figure in the pastures and feedlots of Lo- 
rain and adjoining counties. The seed had fallen 
upon fertile soil. Butchers reported that the "white 
faces" killed well. Graziers agreed that they made 
weight fast on grass and ripened rapidly when 
placed in the feedlot. It was here that Thomas 
Clark, another Englishman and then a young man 
unknown to fame, first began farming in America 
and acquired the blood that started him upon his 
remarkable career as a breeder and exhibitor of 
Herefords. It was in this vicinity also that George 
Morgan, another Englishman who was to become 
a great factor in the American Hereford trade, 
settled on first coming out from Herefordshire. 

Thomas Clark states that the Humphries-Aston 
stock, while not so refined as we are now accustomed 
to seeing in America, were good thick-fleshed cattle 
possessing scale, substance, fine feeding quality and 
in some cases the cows were excellent milkers: They 
were more freely marked with white than modem 
Herefords. Cattle descended from the Humphries- 
Aston stock were often shown at the local and dis- 
trict fairs in northern Ohio, and when the newer 
west finally awakened to the value of the blood 
Elyria suddenly found herself for the time being 
the Hereford capital of the mid-west states — a dis- 
tinction claimed shortly afterwards, however, by a 



310 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

town in northern Illinois to be mentioned frequently 
as our story progresses. 

Frederick William Stone. — The farm of the On- 
tario Agricultural College and Experiment Station 
possesses an historic interest to the lovers of im- 
proved domestic animals, aside from the credit at- 
taching to the great work there performed in recent 
years by a devoted body of men seeking the ad- 
vancement of Dominion agriculture through the ap- 
plication of scientific practices. It was in those fer- 
tile fields that Frederick William Stone once main- 
tained the largest herd of Hereford cattle of its 
time in North America. Shorthorns of pure descent 
and Cotswold sheep of the best British breeding 
likewise trod the soil of what was then the Moreton 
Lodge estate. The walls of the old house are now 
incorporated, in part at least, in one of the college 
buildings. 

From this famous old-time importing and breed- 
ing establishment many valuable cattle and sheep 
went out to enrich the farming, not only of Ontario, 
but of the border states of the Union. Indeed, so 
marked was the influence of the Moreton Lodge 
Herefords upon the foundation herds of New Eng- 
land, New York, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, 
Illinois, Iowa and Missouri that no account of the 
upbuilding of the breed in the States can fail to 
accord the highest recognition to the enterprise and 
public spirit of this real benefactor of the two great 
neighboring Anglo-Saxon nations. While the Here- 
fords never really obtained strong footing in the 




FREDERICK WILLIAM STONE. 



312 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Dominion generally, it so happened that at the time 
the middle western states first set out to establish 
purebred white-faced herds the Frederick William 
Stone collection was the largest and best of its 
kind on the continent and was therefore freely 
drawn upon by those who were seeking the blood 
for use upon this side of the line. 

A Warwickshire Man. — Mr. Stone was bom at 
Barton-on-the-Heath, Warwickshire, England, in 
1814, and came to Canada in 1831 at the age of six- 
teen along with the Arkells. He took up 200 acres 
on the Puslinch Plains, which he afterwards in- 
creased to 248 acres. Some years later he returned 
to England with the idea of going to Calcutta where 
his brother had offered him a position as an East 
Indian merchant. However, he changed his mind 
and returned to Canada and opened a store on the 
Brock Eoad, still retaining his farm. His business 
prospered and he acquired the estate of 583 acres, 
550 of which he sold to the Ontario Government in 
1873 for the agricultural college. The entrance to 
the main building is the original entrance to the 
house called by Mr. Stone Moreton Lodge, in honor 
of his mother. After selling this farm to the gov- 
ernment, Mr. Stone bought an adjoining place of 
some 200 acres, which he farmed along with one of 
248 acres at Arkell until the time of his death in 
1895, at the age of eighty-one. 

In 1850 Mr. Stone purchased the Wingfield herd 
of Shorthorns and in 1854 began to import purebred 
stock direct. His first shipment of Shorthorns was 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 313 

lost at sea, but he continued importing them until 
1875, exhibiting with great success at the Provincial 
exhibitions in Canada and in the United States as 
well. One of his most noted Shorthorn bulls was 
Grand Duke of Moreton, which after winning vari- 
ous prizes was sold for .$1,000 when six years old. 

First Hereford Purchases. — In 1860 Mr. Stone 
attended the Royal English Show at Canterbury 
and was so pleased with the Hereford cattle that he 
got his brother to buy some and ship them to Can- 
ada. These initial purchases were made chiefly from 
the old established herds of Lord Bateman, of Shob- 
don, Leominster, and Lord Berwick, of Cronkhill, 
Salop. Stock bulls from both of these herds were 
in service at Moreton Lodge in the early days. 
Sailor 12, bred by Lord Berwick and sired by 
Severn, a son of the famous Walford, was used with 
satisfactory results. A number of heifers by Sev- 
ern were also brought out from the Berwick herd. 
Probably one of the best known bulls sired by Sailor 
was Canadian Chief 663, used as a stock bull by Mr. 
Stone. He left a number of heifers from which most 
excellent stock descended, one of these being the 
cow Necklace 4th 1519, that passed into the posses- 
sion of Hon. M. H. Cochrane, of Hillhurst. The dam 
of Canadian Chief, the imported cow Peach, by Al- 
bert Edward 450, was also of Cronkhill origin and 
was subsequently sold to Mr. A. H. Seabury, of 
Lafayette, Ind. Mr. Seabury bought a number of 
cattle from Mr. Stone, and his herd was one of the 
earliest established in the state of Indiana. These 



314 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

latter purchases constituted the foundation of the 
herd which afterwards attained prominence in the 
trade in the States as the property of Seabury & 
Sample, and it was the excellence of the steers de- 
rived from this stock that first attracted the atten- 
tion of the late Mr. Adams Earl to the Herefords. 

Guelph and Sir Charles. — From Lord Bateman, 
Mr. Stone obtained the bull Patriot 26, sired by Car- 
lisle 51. He also secured from the same source a 
daughter of Carlisle named Hebe. It is of interest 
to note in this connection that the mating of this 
half-brother and sister resulted in the production 
at Moreton Lodge of the good stock bull Guelph 
2023, that sired, among other noted animals, the 
famous show bull Sir Cliarles 543, sold to Mr. T. L. 
Miller, of Beecher, 111., for $1,000 in gold in 1872. 
It was with this bull that Mr. Miller made his first 
energetic effort to attract the attention of cornbelt 
farmers to the Hereford breed at leading western 
shows. Guelph also sired the bull Goldendrop 457, 
that was bought by W. W. Aldrich, of Elyria, 0., 
for use upon cattle derived from the Humphries-As- 
ton importation into that state. Another son of 
Guelph, Commander-in-Chief 959, was used in the 
herd, siring among other animals sold to the States 
the bull Dalesman 1259, bought for service in the 
herd of Mr. Seabury. Still another Guelph bull that 
came to the States was Velvet Jacket 675, purchased 
by W. W. Crapo, of Flint, Mich., who was one of 
the earliest breeders of Hereford cattle in that state 
and who obtained a number of breeding cows and 



I 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 315 

heifers from Mr. Stone. Patriot also sired the bull 
Admiral 975, sold to Hon. John Merryman, of 
Maryland. 

The Green Blood Introduced. — Further on in 
the course of his work with the Herefords, Mr. 
Stone imported from the herd of J. B. Green the 
bulls Governor 4th 1293 and Portrait 3d 1404, the 
latter being the sire of the bull Picture 1403, sold 
to Mr. Charles Gudgell, then of Pleasant Hill, Mo. 
Mr. Gudgell obtained about the same time a number 
of females from the same source, including three 
daughters of Crown Prince 1418, son of Sir Charles 
543. 

Wide Distribution of the Stone Stock. — There 
was scarcely a herd in the northern United States 
founded during tliis period that did not owe some- 
thing to the Frederick William Stone collection. It 
was a source of supply to nearly all of those who 
were trying to get a start with the ' ' white faces ' ' all 
the way from Maine to Colorado. Mr. G. S. Bur- 
leigh bought cattle from Mr. Stone at the time he 
was founding his herd in the state of Iowa. Thomas 
Clark had from Moreton Lodge Sir Arthur 705, by 
Sir Charles out of Hebe 3d, sold to Mr. Seabury. 
T. L. Miller had a number of females and some 
])ulls in addition to Sir Charles, and by him the 
l)lood was passed on to the western range through 
the hands of John W. Prowers, of West Las Ani- 
mas, Colo. 

A Man of Broad Sympathies. — Mr. Stone took 
a deep interest in everything pertaining to agricul- 



318 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tiiiT Hiul was for years a member of the Ontario 
Board of Agriculture and presid(Mit, of the Agricul- 
tnre and Arts Association. He did not seek pnl)lic 
office at all, although in 1867 in the Confederation 
election lie ran in the Conservative interest but was 
unsuccessful. 

Like all the other strong characters which Canada 
has contributed to North American agricultural his- 
tory, Mr. Stone possessed the Briton's in-born lik- 
ing for good animals, and although deeply engrossed 
in merchandising he found leisure to devote both 
time and money in generous measure to the main- 
tenance of herds and flocks that proved throughout 
a long series of years a source of satisfaction to 
himself and of profit to his patrons in both coun- 
tries. 

He is said to have imported the first Suffolk 
horses, Yorkshire and Berkshire pigs, Southdown 
and Cotswold sheep into Ontario, as well as the first 
English and silver pheasants, Dorking fowls and 
Aylesbury ducks. On his farm he had a nursery 
where he grew over 100 varieties of roses, also many 
different varieties of fruit trees, Austrian pines, 
spruce, etc. 

At the Provincial Exhibition in 1879 at Ottawa, 
Mr. Stone won a great many prizes and medals, in- 
cluding the Governor General's gold medal award- 
ed to exhibitor receiving greatest number of prizes 
for cattle. This medal was presented to Mr. Stone 
liy H. R. H. tlie Princess Louise. During that same 
year lie won two gold, six silver and six lironze 



320 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

medals, and in 1867 the gold medal at Buffalo for 
best herd of Herefords. 

A Strong Personality. — Regarding Mr. Stone's 
personal characteristics the author is fortunate in 
possessing a pen-picture drawn some years ago by 
another one of Ontario's immortals, the late Rich- 
ard Gibson, in the course of a personal letter from 
which the following passage is taken : 

''I knew Mr. Stone intimately. He was a typical 
English yeoman, stoutly built, with all the at- 
tributes of his fellows in England, and an aggres- 
sive color in his cheeks, that good, healthy, ruddy 
bronze that bespoke health and happiness. He was 
a storekeeper as well as a farmer, and his wealth 
accumulated. As Strafford [a famous old-time Eng- 
lish Shorthorn auctioneer — Ed.1 would say when 
a specimen of one of his favorite families passed 
before him in the salering, 'he was well got and well 
descended. ' A cousin of his was sheriff of his coun- 
ty and his eldest son was a prominent barrister in 
London, England. His farming was to him a pleas- 
ure, until age and cares passed a veil upon his 
work. He sold the farm to the Ontario Govern- 
ment, and upon his superstructure the present On- 
tario College of Agriculture now lives and moves 
and turns out professors annually, a sure sign of 
the fitness of the soil. 

''As to his Herefords: For years he won every- 
thing before him. I remember a bull, I think Sir 
Charles. I reported him as being fit to compete 
with a ring of all Shorthorns of any age, that is, as . 
regards symmetry and smoothness of flesh, but he 
was not a typical Hereford of that day. His horns 
were short and turned in, a la Shorthorn. However, 
he was a great butcher's fancy. The herd was un- ■ 



t 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 321 

doul)te(lly tlie best on the continent at the time I 
mention."* 

No better evidence of the esteem in which Mr. 
Stone was held b}- his own people can be advanced 
than the following paragraph taken from an obitu- 
ary notice pnl^lished in the "Farmer's Advocate" 
ofFel). 15, 1895: 

"We regret to chronicle the death of Mr. Fred- 
erick W. Stone, of (liielph, Ont., one of the pioneer 
. importers and breeders of purebred stock on this 
continent. Live stock husbandry in Canada owes a 
distinct debt of gratitude to the man who did so 
much to lay the foundation of the position of pre- 
eminence which the country enjoys today, the good 
influence of his enterprise naturally extending to 
the neighboring repulilic as well. He was a fine rep- 
I resentative of an old and worthy type of agricul- 
! turists too fast disappearing from view in these 
days of constant change and ceaseless activity." 

Hon. John Merryman. — The Merrymans of Ma- 
ndand came originally from near Monkton in 
Herefordshire prior to 1650, and their name is in- 
separably connected with the history of their adopt- 
ed state. The immediate ancestors of John Merry- 
man, whose identification with Hereford cattle 
breeding in America we have now to mention, set- 
tled upon the Gunpowder some 22 miles north of 



*Mr. Gibson adds the following characteristic postscript : "The 
last time I saw the herd old Joe Kirby was in charge. They had 
many Hereford bull calves and yearlings; also over 100 Cotswold 
rams. After we had finished going over the cattle and sheep, in 
the course of which I had indulged in my customary badgering about 
the 'white faces," I said : 'Joe, now I want you to drive with me to 
) Guelph.' 'I can't,' said he, 'for 1 have to attend upon some cus- 
tomers." 'AH right,' said I. 'but I want to buy you a present; will 
send it back with the driver.' It was a sharp knife. Joe under- 
stood the hint, and no matter afterwards where I met him the 
proposition was carried out, and if any of your young English 
epicures were around, lambs* fries could be had for nothing." 



322 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the city of Baltimore and called their new home 
Monkton. They acquired many thousands of acres 
of land both east and west of the stream mentioned 
and early in the eighteenth century located upon 
the farm they called, still in honor of the old home, 
Hereford. It was here that John Merryman was 
born in 1824. In the year 1847 his parents fell heir 
to the historic farm of Hayfields near the village of 
Cockeysville, and here in 1856 he laid the founda- 
tion for a herd of Hereford cattle that was destined 
to exert a far-reaching and beneficent influence upon 
the breed in the United States. 

The holding known as Hayfields is situated in 
the famous Worthington Valley and had been put 
together by Col. Nicholas Merryman Bosley in the 
years immediately following 1803, upon which date 
the purchase of the first 100 acres was made. This 
was added to from time to time by the purchase of 
contiguous fields, until 560 acres in all had been 
acquired. Col. Bosley erected the substantial stone 
buildings still in service, the last to be constructed 
being the main farmhouse, a photograph of which 
is herewith reproduced, built in 1832. The soil was 
for the most part the characteristic red clay of that 
region, and rested upon a limestone base.* The 

♦Speaking of the character of the land and the system of cropping 
followed Mr. William D. Merryman says: 

"The Hayfields soil is part limestone and part rotten rock or 
Isinglass soil. The front, about 300 acres, is limestone and the bal- 
ance or back place is rotten rock. It is farmed in rotation, corn, 
wheat, oats or rye, and then set in red clover and timothy hay. Each 
field is allowed to remain in grass about from three to five years, 
and is generally pastured the last year. There is one field that has 
about 20 or 25 acres that has not in my time nor within the memory 
of any of our family been plowed, and it has good bluegrass set on 
it at all times. It has been used for sheep." 




HON. JOHN MERRYMAN. 



324 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

forage grown was therefore of the very best, and 
the place owes its name to the excellence of its 
meadows. Col. Bosley was a fine type of the old- 
school landed proprietor of that period ; his accom- 
plishments in the agricnltnral field were widely rec- 
ognized in the highest circles, a prized possession of 
the family at this time being a silver tankard pre- 
sented to him by the Marquis de Lafayette. Upon 
his death without issue in 1847 he left the property 
to his grand-niece, the mother of John Merryman, 
with n life interest in the estate to her husband, 
entailing it, after the English primogeniture prac- 
tice, to their eldest son Nicholas Bosley Merryman, 
who came into the title by tlie death of his mother in 
1897. 

Early Purchases from William H. Sotham. — John 
Merryman had not been in possession long under 
his life tenure until he decided that the white-faced 
cattle of the old West of England pastures would 
look well on the green slopes of Hayfields, and so 
in 1856 he made his first selections. In a letter 
written Aug. 9, 1881, Mr. Merryman said: "At the 
New York State Fair held at Watertown in 1856, I 
purchased from A. & H. Bowen the yearling bull 
Catalpa and the heifer Lilac. My next purchase was 
from Mr. Sotham and consisted of 13 cows and 
lieifers and two bulls, including Blenheim 1064." 

Writing to Mr. George Underwood, July 27, 1875, 
Mr. Merryman said : 

"My original purchases were made from Mr. Wm. 
H. Sotham, from whom I got Blenheim, a son of 



326 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Charles 2d, imported by George Clark, of East 
Springfield, Otsego County, N. Y. (one of the best 
bulls I have ever seen). Subsequently I purchased 
from the Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts, 
imp. Milton, cow Cora and the heifer Promise, 
both out of Milton, by imp. Cronkhill. Milton 
dropped a bull calf by Cronkhill that I named Cronk- 
hill 4th, and bred to the Sotham cows. I afterwards 
purchased from Mr. Stone Admiral by imp. Patriot, 
bred by Lord Bateman. Many of Admiral's calves 
have proved large milkers and good buttermakers, 
Agnes giving 5 gallons 1 pound of milk per day, 
yielding 12 pounds 10 ounces butter in one week; 
Bohemian Maid, 5 gallons 1 quart milk and 10 
pounds 12 ounces butter in one week in January. ' ' 

This is the only reference we find to Geo. Clark as 
an importer. 

Among the females obtained at that time through 
Mr. Sotham were the imported cows Milton 976 and 
Miss Tully 534. Milton was bred by Thomas 
Longmore of Orleton near Ludlow and was got by 
Wonder 451, of John Hewer's breeding, out of a 
cow called Old Milton, whose lineage is unknown. 
Milton was calved in 1850 and was therefore six 
years old when purchased. Along with her came 
her two daughters, own sisters, Cora 1064 and 
Promise 1107, both by Cronkhill 1745, a bull that 
came from Lord Bei^wick's, a son of the celebrated 
Walford bred by this same Thomas Longmore and 
a Royal celebrity of the early '50 's extensively used 
by His Lordship at Cronkhill. The other imported 
cow, Miss Tully, was a three-year-old bred by the 
famous fighting parson. Rev. J. R. Smythies of 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 327 

jyncli Court, whose challenges and aggressive work 

improving the breed in Herefordshire were nota- 
3le features of the pre-herd-book days in England. 
She was got by Expectation 1205, a bull of Jeffries- 
Hewer derivation. 

These were the cattle mentioned on a preceding 
page as having been exhibited at the Massachusetts 
State Fair of 1858. They were bought by Mr. 
Merryman some time during the year 1859. The 
cow Milton was still breeding at the age of 16 years, 
and her daughter Cora was 15 years of age when 
she gave birth to Milton 2d. 

There was also bought from Mr. Sotham the 
heifer Fashion 720, of his own breeding, got by the 
Hewer-bred Charles 2d 1065. A bull calf Blenheim 
1064, also bred by Mr. Sotham and sired by Charles 
2d, was purchased, but the young imported bull 
Curly 1561 from the herd of John Evans of 
Knighton, Wales, sired by the Turner-bred Van- 
guard 142, and also got from or through Mr. 
Sotham was the first stock bull used. To a service 
by this latter bull the cow Milton in 1863 gave birth 
to a bull called Marion 1106, that was used for stock 
purposes as the herd grew in size. 

Bulls from Stone of Canada.— Like most of his 
contemporaries in the business of trying to start 
Hereford herds in the States, Mr. Merryman had 
resort to Moreton Lodge. From Frederick William 
Stone he had the bull Admiral 975, by Patriot 26 
out of imp. Gentle of Lord Bateman's breeding, 
and also the bull Canadian 968, by Commander in 



328 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Chief 959 (he by Guelph 461) out of Bonny Lass 
6th by the show bull Sir Charles 543. 

Importation of Sir Richard 2d. — The Civil War 
necessarily restricted the Hereford breeding opera- 
tions at Haytields during the '60 's, but shortly after 
its close Mr. Merryman proceeded with his plans. 
About the year 1869 Mr. Merryman sent an order 
to England for the purchase of a l)ull and two 
lieifers in Herefordshire, and in fulfilment thereof 
Sir Richard 2d, Giantess and Miss Monk were 
bought. Sir Richard 2d and Giantess were both 
bred by J. H. Arkwright of Hampton Court, Leo- 
minster, and although both were got l)y Sir Oliver 
2d 973, by Sir Benjamin by Sir David, they had 
been mated before impoi'tation, tlie produce at Hay- 
fields being the heifer Princess Victoria 1057. Miss 
Monk was bred by Daniel Pearce of Monkhall and 
the cattle were brought out to Baltimore in charge 
of Daniel Pearce, Jr. 

Sir Ricliard 2d was about sixteen months old 
when received aud was at once put in service. No 
one dreamed at the time that this youngster was 
to prove one of the most noted sires in American 
Hereford history, but amongst the bulls of his day it 
is probable that Anxiety alone left a more valuable 
line of descendants in this country. Be this as it 
may, Mr. Merryman was fortunate enough to draw 
this rare prize, and kept the bull steadily in service 
until 1876. That was the year of the United States 
Government's Centennial Exposition celebration at 
Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. Mr. Duckliam had 



330 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

been invited out from England to judge the Here- 
fords. There was a considerable gathering of the 
supporters of the breed upon this occasion, among 
those exhibiting being Mr. H. C. Burleigh of Maine. 
Mr. Merryman had cattle on exhibition, showing Sir 
Eichard 2d against T. L. Miller's Success. The lat- 
ter won, owing to better fitting and in an evil hour 
(for Hayfields) Mr. Merryman agreed with Mr. 
Burleigh to exchange on even terms Sir Eichard 2d 
for the big 2,850-pound Canadian-bred Compton 
Lad 1327, sired by Guelph 461 and out of Venus 
662, a daughter of imp. Sailor 12. Practically no 
service was had at Hayfields from Compton Lad 
and he was sent to the butcher, Mr. Merryman fre- 
quently consoling himself as best he could by saying 
''that is what you get for dealing with a Yankee!"* 
This incident, viewed in the light of Sir Eichard 's 
inestimable service to the breed, again illustrates 
the folly of disposing of a sire of special value, 
unless indeed the offer — which was not the case in 
this historic instance — be of such tempting charac- 
ter that it would seem sheer nonsense to refuse it. 
Mr. Merryman had heifers three or four years old 
at the time, but it was not possible of course for 
him to foresee the wonderful career in store for 
the bull he had brought out from Hampton Court 
and so he exchanged "Old Dick," as he was after- 

•Mr. Merryman had actively espoused the cause of the south 
during the days when the northern troops were over-running his 
native state, and was for a time a prisoner at Ft. McHenry. Chief 
Justice Taney's dissenting opinion to a Supreme Court decision 
denying Mr. Merryman his release under habeas corpus proceedings 
has been regarded as one of the great jurist's most convincing legal 
arguments. He was subsequently released without trial. 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 331 

wards affectionately termed in the west, for a ton 

[and a half of bull beef on the hoof. The story of 

Sir Richard 2d's importation and wanderings, his 

great period of service in Maine, his career in the 

[Miller, Clark, Earl & Stuart and Culbertson herds 

in the west, is a bovine romance that will unfold 

'itself still further as we proceed with our story of 

[how the Hereford fought his way into the favor of 

[powerful interests in the cornbelt and on the west- 

jrn range. Had John Merryman done nothing else 

than import this great getter of grandly fleshed, 

I massive cows possessing wonderfully true Hereford 

character he would still be entitled to rank as one 

fof the real founders of the Hereford's good fortune 

on this side of the Atlantic. 

Giantess and Progeny. — The imported cow Gian- 
tess, of Arkwright's breeding, above referred to, 
proved a prolific and valuable breeder and as she 
was a half-sister to Sir Richard 2d — to which bull 
she was regularly mated — contributed a valuable 
new element to the Hayfields herd. She was the 
mother of a line of Princesses — Louise, Charlotte 
and Beatrice, all by Sir Richard 2d — and also 
dropped the bull Duke of Edinburgh 1711, by Sir 
Richard 2d, sold to Col. Lloyd of Easton, Md. She 
had also the bull Prince of Wales 1709, by Sir 
Richard 2d. To a service by Illinois 920 she pro- 
duced Prince Arthur 1708, bought by B. Hershey 
of Muscatine, la. 

Illinois in Service.— Shortly after the unfortunate 
Sir Richard 2d trade Mr. Merryman made a deal 



332 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

with T. L. Miller of Beecher, 111., in wliicli the bull 
Illinois 920 was acquired. He was a son of the fa- 
mous show bull Success 2 out of Kate 762, which 
was bred by Aston of Elyria from John Bull 464 
and Queen of the West by Merriman 764. Merri- 
man was bred by John Humphries from imp. Prince 
Albert 477 and imp. Victoria 478. Illinois was quite 
worthy of his good descent, and after being used 
several seasons was sold about 1880 to A. A. Crane, 
Osco, 111. He got many useful bulls, including The 
Equinox 2758, sold to Mr. Miller, and a number 
bought b7 Benjamin Hershey of Iowa for his Ne- 
braska ranch. Another one of his sons was Tha 
Monk 2754, a grandson of imp. Miss Monk, a bull 
sold to Geddis & Bryan of Ft. Logan, Mont., in the 
days when Herefords were not yet plentiful on the 
western range. Aljout this same period Mr. Merry- 
man also sold bulls carrying Sir Richard 2(1 l^lood 
to the Swans for their Wyoming ranch. 

Prince of the Wye Imported. — ^Ir. Merry man vis- 
ited England in 1878-79, and while in Herefordshire 
purchased a few cattle, including the yearling Imll 
Prince of the Wye 1548, bred by Hon. Thomas 
Duckham. Prince of the Wye was sired by Helian- 
thus 1549, a son of King of the Lilies 1551. Heli- 
anthus was bred by the Earl of Southesk at Kin- 
naird Castle, Forfarshire, Scotland, whose herd of 
' ' white faces ' ' was one of the very few ever attempt- 
ed in North Britain. Along with Prince of the Wye 
came a heifer, Winifred 5tli 1661, also from Mr. 
Duckham 's and got by the bull Concord 1662 that 



334 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

was exported to South Africa. While in England 
Mr. Merryman also bought from Henry Webb two 
fine Southdown rams for the Druid Hill Park flock 
maintained by the city of Baltimore. 

Prince of the Wye was in use in the herd until 
the death of the proprietor in 1881, after which 
all of the cattle excepting twelve head (including 
Prince of the Wye) were sold to A. A. Crane, Osco, 
111. 

Final Dispersion. — The twelve head mentioned 
were left to the late E. Gettings Merryman, who 
continued the herd until 1894 when his brother Wil- 
liam D. Merryman took charge of thena in behalf of 
his mother, until her decease in 1897. William D. 
retained the cattle until 1904 when they were dis- 
persed at auction because Mr. N. Bosley Merry- 
man, who inherited Hayfields, did not care to farm ; 
and this was the end of an historic herd. 

In these latter day operations the bull Prince of 
the Wye was followed by Prince de Cote 5985, by 
imp. Winter de Cote 2977 out of Princess 10th by 
Hopeful 2d 2983, bought of T. L. Miller in 1883. 
Richard 3d 1716, by old Sir Richard 2d out of imp. 
Miss Monk, was also used for a few years. About 
1886 Earl Wilton 19th 27144 was obtained from 
Adams Earl. Then came Franklin 31875 of C. K. 
Parmelee's breeding, got from S. W. Anderson of 
West Virginia. William D. Merryman brought into 
service Double Anxiety 50044, bred by Thomas 
Clark and bought from S. W. Anderson. This bull 
had a double cross of Clark's Anxiety 3d, and Mr. 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 335 

Merryman says, '*I considered him the best bull 
ever on the place excepting Sir Eichard 2d." 

A Man of Mark. — Mr. Merryman was President 
of the Maryland State Agricultural Society in 1857 
and under his administration successful fairs were 
held at Baltimore and Frederick in 1858, 1859 and 
1860. He was again elected president of the asso- 
ciation after its reorganization in 1879. He also 
served his state in the legislature, and in 1870 was 
state treasurer. He was the head of the commercial 
fertilizer house of John Merryman & Co., of Balti- 
more, and in 1880 was elected President of the old 
organization known as the United States Agricul- 
tural Society. 

Mr. Merryman 's heart was ever at Hayfields and 
with the Herefords. This is well illustrated by the 
following extract from a private letter to a gentle- 
man of his acquaintance written some years after 
the founding of the herd: 

**I am as earnestly devoted to Herefords as you 
found me upon my arrival at Owego in January, 
1859. At the last annual fair of our state agricul- 
tural society, in September last, my Herefords had 
three gold medals awarded them, and nine first 
prizes, including one for best fat steer. I have now 
owned 209 Herefords, 181 of which I have bred 
myself. I claim that they are the most valuable 
stock for this vicinity, and for the purposes of the 
south, being hardy, active and better milkers than 
the Devon, which is the only breed to compare with 
them for this section and south of us. They have 
also another great advantage over Devons — their 
size. I slaughter several steers each year, and have 



386 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTT>E 

never liad any weii>-]i less tlian (iO |)oiiii(ls beef for 
100 ponnds live weight."* 

Mr. Merryman probably bred in all 500 Herefords 
dnring the years he was engaged in the bnsiness, 

♦While space admonishes that we must not linger too long 
over these early eastei'n operations, we feel that in justice to 
a few otlier pioneer Hereford breeders in New England the follow- 
ing notes should be appended : 

Between the years of 1S70 and 18S0 Herefords were brought 
into New Hamplisire from the Canadian provinces of Ontario and 
Quebec and from the state of Maine. Arthur Clough of Canter- 
burj- established a herd, drawing inaterial from, the herd of 
Frederick William Stone, and that of A. W. Foster, W'aterloo, 
Quebec. Cattle of Mr. Clough's breeding were bought by J. S. 
Hawes during the later '70's and doubtless more or less of this 
blood was disseminated in the west after the removal of Mr. 
Hawes to Kansas in 1S,S2. 

At Sandwich in 1875 Isaac D. Smith was breeding Herefords, 
having purchased the cow Annie Holmes, bred by Messrs. Under- 
wood. About this time W. P. Small of Canterbury secured the 
bull General Grant, bred by Moses B. Bailey, Farmlngton, Me. 
It may be of interest to add that General Grant 31.54 was a full 
brother to President 20.58, which sired Rose Bud 6606, the mater- 
nal grandam of Perfection 92S91. Herefords appear to have well 
maintained their popularity around Canterbury. J. P. Kimball 
was breeding there in the early 'SO's, owning cattle descended 
from the stock of ^Ir. Clousli and of Mr. Smith of Sandwich. 
Thomas W. Taylor of Sanbornton was prominent among New 
Hampshire breeders thirty years ago, starting his herd with 
cattle of Clough breeding. Like .1. P. Kimball, Mr. Taylor was 
an early member of the American Hereford Cattle Breeders' 
Association. About thirty years ago F. W. Towle founded a herd 
at Freedom, purchasing stock of Burleigh & Bodwell. ]Mr. Towle 
was a Boston business man, and has continued to be identified 
with Hereford cattle. At present New Hampshire boasts the 
largest herd of registered Herefords in New Rngland, that of the 
Messrs. Morrison at Oxford. 

The first list of membership in the American Hereford Cattle 
Breeders' Association presents the name of L. B. Harris, Lyndon 
Center, Vt. Mr. Harris evidently believed in Hereford blood 
fresh from the fountain-head, as his herd was made up exclusively 
of imported stock. Among his cows was Lucy Davies 9787, bred 
by John Crane, Shrewsbury, Eng. The family of Crane was breed- 
ing Herefords seventy years ago. In 1885 the Harris herd was 
headed by Green Mountain Boy 98,15, bred by Crane & Tanner, 
Shrawardine, Shrewsbury, Eng. In later years Herefords in Ver- 
mont have made marked progress. One of the largest herds is 



FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 337 

many of the best of wliieh found their way iiortli 
and west and exerted a nsefnl and valuable influence 
in tlie upbuilding' of the Hereford trade throughout 
the natiou. 



that of E. H. White, East Corinth. One of the most recently 
established is that of A. J. Higgins, St. Johnsbury. 

In 1S55 a little band of "white faces" headed by old Cronkhill 
of Walford parentage, whose sponser was Lord Berwick, invadt-d 
the southeast corner of Vermont, and got a foothold in Brattle- 
boro on the farm of Mr. Goodell. Three years previously these 
pioneer cattle had crossed the Atlantic under the ownership of 
L. A. Dowley of Boston. While it is now impossible to chronicle 
what fate befell them in the Green ^lountain State, we know that 
Cronkhill remained there long enough to enrich with his inherited 
treasures the cattle interests of New England: and the red cur- 
rent which came to him through Walford, Clungerford and Dine- 
dor flows on in the Fairfaxes of the twentieth century. 

Connecticut'^ older shareholders in the American Hereford 
Cattle Breeders' Association are C. P. Gaylord, Terryville; Caleb 
Humiston, Thomaston: W. B. King & Son, Suffleld, and L. J. Miller, 
Cannon. ^Ir. Gaylord's herd has long been well and widely 
known. It was founded on Burleigh & Bodwell stock, and skillful 
breeding has maintained its excellence. It may yet be proved 
that the high-priced lands of Connecticut and Rhode Island can 
pay a profit when stocked with "white faces." The Ne^'- England 
Hereford Breeders' Association was organized at White River 
Junction, Vt. Sept. 15, 1914, and this association proposes to 
demonstrate the fact that Herefords can thrive on "wooden nut- 
megs" better than any other breed of cattle on earth. 



CHAPTER VII. 
A FOOTING GAINED IN THE MIDDLE WEST. 

From the early eastern stocks mentioned in the 
foregoing chapter the fame of the Hereford grad- 
ually expanded westward. But the available supply 
of cattle was limited and the paralyzing effects of 
the great Civil War from 1861 to 1865 operated for 
several years after its close to prevent any wide- 
spread extension of the work of live stock improve- 
ment until the business of the country had recovered 
from the shock. By 1870 the interest of western cat- 
tle-growers in Herefords was obviously increasing, 
and those who believed that there was a bright fu- 
ture for the breed in the newer west planned to push 
their claims for recognition with renewed vigor. 

Gov. Crapo's Experiments. — One of the earliest 
introductions of Hereford blood into the state of 
Michigan was that made by Governor Crapo of 
Flint, who in 1866 began experimenting with Short- 
horns, Devons and Herefords. The latter were from 
the herd of Mr. Stone of Guelph, and included the 
bull Velvet Jacket, then two years old, and three 
heifers of like age. The Shorthorns were obtained 
from Hon. Ezra Cornell of Ithaca, N. Y., and the 
Devons from good sources in the same state. Speak- 
ing of the result of Governor Crapo's experiment, 

338 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 339 

Mr. A. S. Harrington in a communication written to 
the Nebraska ''State Journal" during the year 1881 
said : 

"The three breeds were treated alike as to food 
and shelter. The grades grazed upon the same pas- 
ture in summer and fed at the same racks in winter. 
The first year sixty native heifers were procured 
and served, twenty going to each bull, and this is 
about the number of calves raised each year. The 
result was that after twelve years' experience with 
these three noted and distinct breeds of beef cattle, 
giving them all an equal chance from first to last, 
Mr. Crapo adopted the Herefords, and bred the 
Devons and their grades, and the Shorthorns and 
their grades, to Hereford bulls. He was convinced 
that for farmers in general the Herefords were more 
profitable than the others because they mature 
earlier, are more hardy, less liable to disease, are 
better feeders and grazers, fatten on less food in 
their stalls, and keep in flesh at all seasons of the 
year, and when killed produce more dressed beef to 
the hundredweight gross live weight, and alive or 
dressed command a more ready sale where the quali- 
ties of their meat are known. It must be borne in 
mind that at the time the experiment was made the 
Shorthorns were the fashionable breed, and brought 
large and remunerative prices, as also did the 
Devons, while the Herefords went begging for buy- 
ers at mere nominal prices. Mr. Crapo 's foreman 
and herdsman were both Shorthorn admirers, and 
did not at first take kindly to the 'white faces,' but 
the Herefords worked themselves up against all op- 
position from every quarter." 

Mr. Edwin Phelps of Pontiac also fed Shorthorns 
and Herefords side by side for several years, and 
was led to the conclusion that Herefords could be 



340 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Pattt'iiprl Oil less Feed than Shorthorns, and when 
sohl brought more money. He also testitied that the 
Hereford was hardier and more easily maintained. 
Thomas Foster, of Flint, at one time a breeder of 
Devon cattle in Miehiiian, gave them up and adopt- 
ed Herefords after lia\ing become convinced of their 
superiority for his purposes. 

Humphries and Aldrich Active. — Of the Ohio 
l)reeders of this period one of the most enterprising 
was the late AVilliam ^N. Aldrich. Born at Dover 
in Cuyahoga county, he worked on his father's farm 
until twenty-one years of age. He purchased from 
Mr. Bassett, his father-in-law, a farm of 165 acres 
near Dover, which he operated until 1870. In the 
meantime he had become interested in the Here- 
fords, and finally bought the Aston herd. As the 
Bassett farm was then some 12 miles from the rail- 
way, it was not a convenient point from which to 
carry on the business of breeding, exhibiting and 
selling cattle. For this reason Mr. Aldrich removed 
to a place near Elyria about 1870. He at once be- 
came active in the trade, among his purchases being 
that of the bull Goldendrop from Frederick William 
Stone. At the Ohio State Fair of 1870 he sold a hull 
calf five months old and weighing 500 pounds for 
$500. Tn reporting this sale to the press Mr. Aldrich 
said: "I have one cow which has raised a calf 
every year of the last four, and has not ceased to 
give milk during the time." 

The Illinois and St. Louis Shows of 1871.— 
Mr. Aldrich was not slow to grasp the opportunity 




W. W. ALDBICH. 



342 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

to exploit his favorites afforded by the columns of 
the then newly established magazine, the ''National 
Live-Stock Journal", of which the late James H. 
Sanders — who subsequently founded "The Breed- 
er's Gazette" — was godfather. The Illinois State 
Board of Agriculture had finally agreed to set up a 
class for Herefords and offered the same money 
prizes as for other breeds, whereupon Mr. Aldrich 
decided to ''carry the war into Africa." According- 
ly we find him writing to the Chicago periodical 
above named in the summer of 1871, to this effect : 

"I have seen Mr. Humphries, and he will go with 
me to the Illinois State Fair. We shall not attend 
our state fair, Illinois has done nobly in offering 
liberal premiums, and we appreciate it, and will 
patronize her. I intend to put a bull and five cows 
and nine calves on that fair grounds which will do 
stockmen good to look at and handle. Mr. Humph- 
ries' stock is in good show condition — the best I 
ever saw them. I shall bring old Duchess and two 
calves she raised this summer. I think there will 
be the best lot of Herefords shown at Duquoin this 
fall ever shown at any one fair in America. ' ' 

The Ohio cattle were shown that year at Cleve- 
land, Elyria, the Illinois State Fair at Duquoin, 
and St. Louis, which was at that date and for years 
later the leading agricultural show of America. Evi- 
dently this swing round the circuit was productive of 
good results, and Mr. Aldrich 's own testimony as 
to his reception proves that he encountered neither 
active hostility nor unfairness towards the new type. 
He says: 

"At the Illinois State Fair I showed sixteen head, 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 343 

and took first and second prizes on all I had in their 
class, amounting to $265. George West took first 
prize on yearling bull and heifer, being two calves I 
sold him last year, owned at Kinmundy, 111. There 
were brought into the ring of sweepstakes herds five 
herds, all Shorthorns except my own. I took second 
prize. The Illinois fair was all and more than I had 
anticipated. The premiums, being equal for all 
breeds of cattle, gave satisfaction to all breeders. 
The drouth and location were decidedly against the 
fair; but everything that could be done on the part 
of the officers and superintendents of the different 
departments was done for all exhibitors, and we all 
enjoyed it, and felt well satisfied. 

''The next was the St. Louis Fair — the fair of all 
fairs. I took all that was offered on Herefords at 
this fair. The show of Herefords, Alderneys, and 
Ayrshires was so much above expectations, that they 
gave them all additional premiums. I have but one 
suggestion to make in regard to this fair, viz., that 
they take pattern from Illinois in giving equal prem- 
iums to all breeds of cattle, and also build one hun- 
dred more cattle stalls, and then their fair would 
seem perfect. 

''As this was my first trip west, to attend the Illi- 
nois and St. Louis fairs, I must say I was very hap- 
pily disappointed at both fairs; they have got the 
right men in the right place, and everything moves 
like clock-work. And another thing, when one meets 
there such men as J. H. Pickrell, Edward lies and 
Stephen Dunlap of Illinois, Shrophire of Kentucky 
and Col. King of Minnesota, it is of no use to look 
for more obliging and gentlemanly men, or better 
breeders. I wish here to express my heartfelt 
thanks to the president, directors and managers of 
the Illinois and St. Louis fairs, for their kindness 



344 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE . 

to me while there, hoping to meet tliem again at 
their next fairs." 

The Burleighs Bring Herefords Into Iowa. — 
A two-column report of the Iowa State Fair of 1871, 
held at Cedar Eapids, published in the "National 
Live-Stock Journal", contains a two-line report on 
the Hereford show as follows: 

"Messrs. J. H. & G. S. Burleigh of Mechanicsville, 
la., had some Herefords on exhibition." 

We find no reference to the breed's appearance in 
Iowa prior to this date. As a mere boy helping with 
his father's exhibits of live stock, the writer at- 
tended all the Iowa state fairs of the early "seven- 
ties", and while he has a distinct recollection of the 
Elliott & Kent and other Shorthorn herds in compe- 
tition, he now recalls no Hereford entries. That they 
were sparingly shown in that state as early as 1871 
is, however, a matter of record. 

The Burleighs here mentioned were brothers of 
Mr. Hall C. Burleigh of Maine, mentioned in the 
preceding chapter. The father, John Rogers Bur- 
leigh, had begun to farm near Waterville, Me., in 
the early "twenties" upon a tract of land so rocky 
that his descendants, revisiting the old home and 
recalling the traditions as to his accomplishments 
there, marveled that any man could have wrested even 
a sustenance from such a shallow soil. But typical 
son of New England that he was, with sound old 
British blood flowing in his veins, keen and far-see- 
ing in business, with as high a sense of honor and 
right living as any man ever possessed, John Rog- 



FOOTING GAIXED IN MIDDLE WEtiT 345 

ers Burleigh conquered all obstacles and held, with 
his large family, a prominent position in the com- 
munity. 

In those days there were few Herefords in the 
elder Burleigh's country, but he was interested in 
good live stock, and was considered a good judge of 
quality and fond of possessing the best to be had. 
Maine was then the home of many good Shorthorns 
and his pastures and barns always contained repre- 
sentatives of that breed. Gradually the Hereford 
blood found its wa,v into the herds of that state, as 
already sketched, l)ringing always a hardiness and 
feeding quality that rendered it peculiarly adapted 
to the harsh climate and not over-fertile soil. Cat- 
tlemen began to make comparisons, and soon the 
"white faces" were attracting attention everywhere. 
On the Burleigh farm they found high favor. 

In 1852 John Rogers Burleigli moved west, taking 
with him his two sons, John H. and Gilman S. An- 
other son. Hall C. Burleigh, purcliased the old farm 
and followed in his father's footsteps, constantly 
improving and increasing the cattle stock. In 1864 
a larger and better farm was bought by H. C Bur- 
leigh, and with his cattle carrying the Shorthorn 
blood, of which he was then an ardent admirer, the 
"white faces" soon began to mingle. 

Few men in New England studied the relative 
merits of the two breeds more carefully than did 
Hall C. Burleigh. Buying and shipping to the Bos- 
ton market cattle from a large territory and having 
opportunity to study the cattle through, all stages 



346 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of growth and feeding and to observe results at the 
block, he finally cast his lot with the Herefords, as 
has already been noted, and through thirty years his 
allegiance to them never wavered. Further refer- 
ence to his subsequent extensive importations from 
England will be made in these chronicles. 

It was in 1867 that Messrs. John H. Burleigh 
and Gilman S. Burleigh settled at Mechanicsville, 
la., and in 1869 they decided to engage in breeding 
Herefords. Their foundation stock was bought 
mainly from Frederick William Stone, and carried 
the blood of Guelph 461, Sir Charles 543, and other 
noted sires of that day. Cupid 692, and his son Cu- 
pid 2d 691, seem to have been used freely in the 
newly established herd. Cupid 692 was by Golden 
Drop, the bull bought by Mr. Aldrich from Mr. Stone 
and taken to Ohio. Iowa Chief 834, by Stone's 
Sailor Prince, was also in service early. They also 
used the bull Advance 1, the first animal of record 
in the American Hereford Herd Book. Advance was 
bred by T. L. Miller, whose great activity in the 
west began about this time. 

John H. Burleigh and Gilman S. Burleigh di- 
vided their herd after the co-partnership had existed 
for a few years, the latter engaging extensively in 
the breeding and exhibition of the ''white faces" for 
a long series of years, and attaining national promi- 
nence. John H. Burleigh also bred Herefords for 
many years, until failing health compelled him, 
shortly before his death in 1892 at the age of 83, to 
part with his favorites. 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST. 347 

ft 

" Mr. G. S. C'Gil") Burleigh in his time exhibited 
many high-class Herefords at western fairs. In 
1880 he advertised Herefords effectually, with the 
cow Princess B. 1777, of his own breeding, winning 
many prizes. She was also a successful breeder, her 
progeny commanding high prices. Her son, the bull 
Prince Imperial, sold for $1,000. Moss Rose 1787, 
another of Mr. Burleigh's best show cows, was also a 
good breeder. He was a frequent exhibitor at the 
old Chicago Fat Stock Show, always making credit- 
able presentations. In 1883 he had first prize in the 
''cost of production" class on the heifer Hattie, of 
his own breeding and feeding. Another good one 
was the crossbred heifer Minnie, bought from Bur- 
leigh & Bodwell as a two-year-old, and exhibited by 
them throughout the east. This heifer weighed at 
maturity over 2,000 pounds. Mr. Burleigh owned 
and used the great bull imp. Anxiety 2d 4580, and 
his son Troubadour 10220, also Hampton Hero 12- 
444 and 2d Duke of Manchester. Anxiety 2d was at 
} one time a feature of the leading western shows and 
I tied the famous Rudolph for his ribbon at St. Louis. 
I After closing out his herd at auction at Kansas 
I City in April, 1885, with an average of $404.70 for 
the females and $293.10 for the bulls, G. S. Burleigh 
; moved back to Vassalboro, Me., where he kept a 
; small herd of Herefords for some time, headed by 
I Ijancer 94024, a son of Sotham's Corrector. Mean- 
time he has also maintained a herd at Mechanicsville, 
' la. Since 1905 he has resided at Southern Pines, 
North Carolina. 



348 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

T. L. Miller the Great Promoter. — Early in 
the "seventies" a Chicago business man who was 
destined to exert a far-reaching influence upon the 
fortunes of the Hereford in the west became inter- 
ested. This was the late T. L. Miller, whose farm at 
Beecher, Will Co., 111., soon afterwards became the 
center of the greatest American activity in the Here- 
ford trade. 

Mr. Miller was born at Middletown, Conn., on 
April 7, 1817. In 1842 he went to Cuyahoga Falls, 
0., where he was in business until 1856, when he re- 
moved to Chicago, 111. Here he was in the fire and 
hfe insurance business until about 1870. He had 
bought the first 320 acres of his farm at Beecher, 
from the United States Government. Afterwards he 
added to it until he had 540 acres at Beecher and 
207 acres 3 miles to the north. He commenced to 
improve the farm with buildings in 1862. His near- 
est railroad station then was Monee, on the Illinois 
Central. In 1870 the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes 
Railroad was built, and Mr. Miller bought about 340 
acres of additional land to the west of that already 
acquired and laid out the village of Beecher. He 
closed out his business in Chicago and went to live 
on this Highland Stock Farm in March, 1870. A 
few years later he laid the foundation for his herd of 
Hereford cattle. 

William Powell, an Englishman who later on bred 
and handled Herefords extensively on his own ac- 
count, both in Illinois and Texas, was jointly inter- 
ested with Mr. Miller in some of his earlier ventures 




T. L. MILLRR. 



I 



350 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

in Herefords. An item in the ''National Live-Stock 
Journal" for February, 1872, reads as follows: 

**We learn that Messrs. Byers and Campbell, of 
Nevada, 0., have sold to Messrs. T. L. Miller and 
Wm. Powell of Highland Stock Farm, Beecher, 
Will Co., 111., an undivided half interest in three 
Hereford cows and two bulls and thirty-six purebred 
Cotswold sheep. It is Mr. Byers' intention to start 
for England about April 1, for the purpose of obtain- 
ing more Hereford cattle." 

Sir Charles.— In the summer of 1872 Mr. Miller 
bought the famous Canadian show bull Sir Charles 
(3434), then five years old and weighing about 2,700 
pounds, from Frederick "William Stone of Guelph, 
for the sum of $1,000 in gold, which with the prem- 
ium then commanded by the yellow metal equaled 
$1,300. This was the first high-priced Hereford 
brought into the west. Mr. Miller was a great be- 
liever in advertising, and one of his first acts after 
acquiring old Sir Charles was to arrange to have him 
sketched by E. H. Dewey, just then entering upon 
his career as a live stock artist. This was the be- 
ginning of an active campaign of newspaper and 
showj^ard publicity that gave Hereford stock its 
first sharp upward turn in the western cattle trade. 
Sir Charles' picture was the frontispiece in the issue 
of the old "Journal" for September, 1872, and in 
the following number another of those queer old- 
fashioned wood cuts appeared bearing this legend : 
"Hereford cow belonging to Miller & Powell, Beech- 
er, 111." She was an old "line-back" with calf at 
foot. Sir Charles went to the butcher at 10 years 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 351 

old weighing 2,550 pounds, bringing a price per 
cwt. equal to that paid for the best bullock sold that 
day and dressing 70 per cent net to gross. 

Repulsed by the Shorthorns in 1872. — Pickrell, 
Kissinger, Ryburn, Shropshire, Allman and lies 
were putting up a great Shorthorn show at the Illi- 
nois State Fair that year, the famous Baron Booth 
of Lancaster being the answer of the Shorthorn 
contingent to the charge that their breed was lack- 
ing in flesh and constitution. The Baron was an 
imported mixed-bred Booth-Cruickshank bull — a 
blending of two bloods which at that date were be- 
ing virtually ignored by American Shorthorn 
breeders in all their calculations. It was evident 
that the fashionable Bates-bred bulls of that time 
were not of heavy enough calibre to stand the test 
of close showyard comparison with the intruders 
of Herefordshire origin. 

Mr. Miller was nothing if not aggressive in be- 
half of the breed he always called the ''Hur- 
fords."* That Eomanesque visage meant fight. 
The new firm of Miller & Powell went after the 
arch enemy at the Illinois show just mentioned with 
Sir Charles at the head of a full show herd which 
included such females as Beauty, Belle, Sophia, 
Fair Maid, Violet, Anna and Laura. With these 
they made a clean sweep in the Hereford class, C. 
H. West being the only competitor. In those days, 
and for many succeeding years, the breeds were al- 

♦This American corruption was matched by a pronunciation 
often heard among the English herdsman— " 'air-y-fords. 



352 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

lowed to come togetlicr for ;i "swtM^pstakes" con- 
test. The result upon this occasion, liowever, was 
adverse to the new and comparatively unknown 
"white faces", and the drubbing was repeated at 
St. Louis. But these reverses only served to rouse 
the ire and re-double the zeal of the new com- 
mander of the Hereford camp. There would come 
a day of reckoning! 

Gradually matters were shaping themselves for 
a more successful presentation of Hereford claims. 
Thomas Clark, then of Elyria, was already giving 
promise of doing things worth while, and George 
Morgan, another Herefordshire man, had come to 
America. Both cooperated with Miller at Beech- 
er. Mr. Clark subsequently became one of the 
west's foremost breeders of Herefords, and Mr. 
Morgan, as an agent, helped to write important 
chapters in American Hereford history. 

Thomas Clark's First Steps. — In 1869 a young 
man named Thomas Clark, then in his twenty-sev- 
enth year, rented an 80-acre farm near Elyria, 0., 
at $5 per acre. Clark was born in Herefordshire, 
near the Monmouth border, in 1842. His father 
was a cattle-grower of local repute who used pure- 
bred Hereford bulls but did not profess to be a 
handler of the pedigreed strains. The son had 
come out to the states in the spring of 1866 and 
after working for a time on a farm near Pittsfield, 
0., was employed by a Cleveland butcher having 
a large city trade. Thrifty, and possessed of an 
in-born faith in the "white faces" of his native 




THOS. CLARK. 



354 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

land, by dint of hard work and economy in the 
course of a few years Clark found himself in a po- 
sition to get into business in a small way on his 
own account. As foreman and cutter in Cleveland 
he acquired a practical familiarity with what lies 
under a bullock's hide that was of distinct ad- 
vantage in his subsequent career as a breeder and 
feeder of good cattle. He had an interest in his 
brother-in-law's little butcher shop in Elyria, but 
his own fondness for the fields led him to give 
most of his time to the 80 acres he had under lease 
near town.* 



*In view of the extraordinary success afterwards attained by 
Mr. Clark in the American Hereford trade, his own narration of 
how he first "got on his feet" in Ohio will be of interest and 
should serve as an inspiration to young men of today. He says: 

"The party to whom I engaged myself as a farmhand when 
I first arrived in America was well acquainted with a Mr. Pro- 
bert, the owner of a meat market in Cleveland. He also was an 
Englishman and hearing that I was anxious to obtain employ- 
ment sent for me to come to Cleveland and see him. I responded 
and when I met him he said: 'You are t\'orking: on a farm? Do 
you not think you would like a job at butchering?' I told him 
I had never done any butchering, adding, 'But I am open to 
anything I can do and make a living at. I am out here to do 
the best I can.' He said, 'I will tell you what I will do when 
your time is up.' I went back to the farm for eight weeks but 
took sick during that period, losing that much time, so I had 
to stay ten weeks. As soon as the ten weeks were up, I went 
back to Cleveland and Mr. Probert said, 'I can give you a job 
in the pork room at so much a month and your board.' I said, 
'I am not here to ask for wages. I am here to work, and if I 
am of any use to you I would like to get something for it and 
if not, you can, of course, discharge me at any time.' 

"I worked in the pork room there for about six months and 
finally he said to me, 'I want you to come into the market.' 
There v^^ere seven of us in the market, cutting. I worked as 
one of the cutters for about a year. Finally the foreman of the 
market took sick. I had been there at that time for about 
twelve months, but had never asked for a raise; but the pro- 
prietor said to me, 'Thomas, I am going to g'ive you $20 a month 
and after awhile I will raise you again.' I said, 'I have never 
asked for a raise and whatever you think I am worth I will 
work for.' He said, 'The foreman is leaving and I want you to 
take charge of the market.' I said, 'That is a pretty big thing 
for me to undertake. Here are men who have been here 10 or 
12 years. It does not look right for me to take hold and be 
foreman of this market.' He said, 'I want you to do it.' I said, 
'I don't think I can undertake it.' He said, 'I know you can.' 

"When I went in as foreman he raised my wages to $60. I 
never asked to get a raise because I did not think I could fill 
that position. It was a big thing for me. I had to weigh meats 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 355 

Mr. Clark's first venture was the purchase of the 
bull Sir Arthur (705), by Sir Charles (543), 
from F. W. Stone of Canada. He picked this calf 
only to find that the owner would not price him. 
The young man wanted a Cotswold ram also and 
when he found difficulty in getting the calf he 
wanted he informed Mr. Stone that he would not 
take one without the other, whereupon a deal for 
both was promptly closed. It appears from this lit- 
tle incident that Mr. Clark's shrewdness both as 
a buyer and as a salesman, afterwards so generally 

and look after orders and I thought it was more than I could 
handle. I was about a year there when he said, 'Thomas, I am 
going to raise your wages again. I said, 'That is all right as 
far as I am concerned; I am very glad, but I didn't ask you.' 
He said, 'I will give you $75 a month and your board.' I said, 'I 
should not ask you for any more than I am getting, but if I 
can earn it I am glad to accept it.' I worked tliere at $75 a 
month for the next year. So finally at the end of the year I 
made arrangements to move to Elyria. 

"Mr. Probert came to me one Saturday after the market was 
closed and said, 'Is it a fact that you are going to leave'?' I said, 
'Yes, that's what I intend to do, Mr. Probert.' I told him I was 
going to get married and was also going into the cattle busi- 
ness. I said, 'I have been among those cattle all my life and 
I feel out of place in the market.' He said, 'I don't see what 
you want to do that for.' I said, 'Well, I think some day or 
another I will make a cattleman.' He said, 'You need not leave 
on account of wages. If you want your wages raised I will raise 
them for you.' I said, 'I don't ask you for a raise. I think you 
are paying me every bit I am earning but I have made up my 
mind to start for myself and want to raise some cattle and 
mean to get a little farm outside of the butcher business.' He 
said, 'I think you are making a mistake.' I said, 'I may be, but 
my ambition is to be some place where I can raise cattle.' He 
said, 'I will give you $100 a month.* I said, 'I appreciate your 
offer and kindness but I have made arrangements to go to Elyria 
and start a market. I have a brother-in-law up there and I 
thought as long as we went into the market together I could 
also run a farm.' He said, 'Well, maybe you are right.' When 
the time came for me to leave, he said to me when we settled 
up, 'Thomas, I hate to have you leave. It may be best for you 
but I think you have made a mistake. But I tell you if ever you 
want $500 or $1,000 or $5,000 you can come to me and get it.' 1 
thanked him and then left. 

"After this I went into business with my brother-in-law, Mr. 
Heal. We hadn't any money to buy a farm but I rented a little 
land near town. I said to him, 'I will do the buying of the 
cattle for you to butcher; or if at any time you want to go out 
and buy, I will tend the market.' So I rented the farm and 
started to raise a few purebred cattle, and that was how I began 
Hereford breeding." 



356 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

recognized by his contemporaries, had fitting ex- 
emplificatioii at the very outset of his career. Sir 
Arthur grew into a good enough bull to win as a 
yearling at the Ohio State Fair of 1870 ; and subse- 
quently sired many prizewinners. 

Clark's First Show Cattle.— Mr. Clark's first 
females were bought from James Cross, his land- 
lord, who had a dispersion sale on renting the farm 
to Clark. These cattle were of the Humphries 
blood, and Clark's purchases included the cow Nel- 
lie, by John Bull, for which he paid $385. She was 
a big smooth cow with lots of substance and was 
afterwards shown with success at the fairs. About 
1872 Clark met the Shorthorn herd of William Mof- 
fatt & Bros, at Berea, a district fair. The Mof- 
fatts were showing a mature herd of big cattle. 
Clark showed Sir Arthur, Nellie, the two-year-old 
heifer Tulip and two j^earlings, winning first prize 
and the male and female championships. W. W. 
Aldrich had been Clark's competitor for Nellie at 
the Cross sale and after she had defeated Aldrich 's 
cows the latter wrote to ''The Ohio Farmer" and 
disparaged Nellie, partly because she ''had no 
white on the shoulder." 

The next important purchase was the cow 
Primrose 2d, by Golden Drop, son of Guelph, the 
sire of Sir Charles. On the occasion of a visit to 
the Guelph fair buying sheep, Mr. Clark met the 
well known Dominion importer and breeder John 
Snell, who was showing a good roan Shorthorn 
bull. T. L. Miller had just bought Stone's Here- 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 357 

ford bull Sir Charles, and Snell remarked that he 
was "glad that bull had left the country as he 
had always given him a lot of trouble." He was 
not afraid of the bulls Stone had left. Primrose 
2d was successfully shown, and Mr. Clark is au- 
thority for the statement that she lived to be 21 
years old and produced 20 calves. She was in his 
possession until sold at last to a butcher in Chi- 
cago for $45. 

Removes To Illinois In 1887. — Meantime the 
west was becoming a good market for Herefords, 
and Clark decided to remove to Beecher, 111. He 
had shown every year at the Ohio fairs and always 
successfully. He made one show at Erie, Pa., 
while breeding in Ohio and another at Jackson, 
Mich., in 1876, winning first prize on herd, in 
competition with seven Shorthorn and Devon herds. 
This was the first time the Herefords won that 
prize in Michigan, and the event caused a lot of 
controversy. John Miller of Canada was the judge. 
Clark had meantime sold three calves to T. L. Mil- 
ler and delivered them personally. He was im- 
pressed with the idea that Illinois would be a bet- 
ter location for his cattle business than Ohio and 
in 1877 when his lease expired he bought 80 acres 
about one mile from Miller's farm, I14 miles from 
the village. He afterwards added 40 acres to the 
home farm, and subsequently bought 26 acres ad- 
ditional. The home farm was black loam with clay 
subsoil. It was rolling prairie, good grass and 
corn land. Most of it was in permanent pasture; 



358 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

in fact, Mr. Clark always kept his own lands large- 
ly in grass, and leased fields for farming purposes. 
He brought his Ohio herd, numbering at this time 
about twenty-eight head, to Beecher. Ten ewes and 
a ram of the Cotswold breed also came, and he kept 
sheep on the farm steadily, with much success. 

In 1877 Mr. Clark showed a herd at the Northern 
Ohio Fair at Cleveland, winning all prizes shown 
for. The Messrs. Potts had a herd of Shorthorns 
at the same show headed by the celebrated Duke of 
Richmond, but there was no breed competition that 
year. Clark bought Success 2d from William 
Powell shortly before removing to Illinois, but the 
bull did not suit and was not extensively used. 

Looking Towards the Range. — In the spring of 
1873 Mr. Miller began campaigning for trade in the 
far west. He was one of the first to insist upon the 
Hereford as an ideal range type. In the course of 
one of his earliest contributions to the agricultural 
press he resorted to the old English form of argu- 
ment, a challenge, which he of course knew would 
not or could not be practically taken up. He said : 

"It is our belief that the Hereford s are pre-emi- 
nently the stock that must be used for improving 
the large herds of Colorado, Kansas and Texas. 
As beef producers, in this country at least, the 
choice will lie between the Shorthorns and the 
Herefords. In the hands of some it will be the one, 
and in those of others the other; and that this 
question may have a fair solution, we hereby pro- 
pose to any Shorthorn breeder to select 100 or 200 
cows in this state, one-half to be served by a Here- 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 359 

ford, and the other half by a Shorthorn bull, and 
the progeny to be cared for alike, and shown at our 
state fair at 2,3, and 4 years old. We propose fur- 
ther, to select, in Colorado, Kansas or Texas, from 
500 to 2,000 cows, and serve one-half with Hereford 
and the other half with Shorthorn bulls, and their 
progeny to be kept alike, and a portion brought to 
our state fair at 2, 3, and 4 years old, each year. 
The choice as to how the stock shall be kept we will 
give the Shorthorn breeders. All are to be kept 
alike, and the experiment may be from one to five 
years." 

Needless to say this defiance caused a lot of com- 
ment. In Shorthorn circles it was called a "bluff." 
Nevertheless, it worried more or less that large 
and somewhat arrogant contingent that was dis- 
posed at that time, and for some years afterward, 
to look down from the heights of its speculative 
airship (the New York Mills sale with its $40,600 
bid for a single cow had just occurred) with more 
or less contempt upon any tribe or breed of im- 
proved cattle of the beef-making sorts that did not 
descend from the Shorthorn stock of T. Bates of 
Kirklevington. Indeed during the years 1873-77 the 
Shorthorn pace on both sides of the Atlantic was 
so fast and furious that neither press nor the cat- 
tle-breeding public seemed to have willing eyes or 
ears for Herefords. Nevertheless, they were slow- 
ly but none the less surely working their way west- 
ward. Mr. Miller protested vigorously against the 
apathy of the public in regard to his favorites. He 
extolled their merits in season and out, in good 
temper and bad, and what was more to the point. 



360 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

he and his little band of contemporaries had com- 
menced selling bulls to various western ranchmen 
that gave great account of themselves. 

Success and Dolly Varden.— In 1873 Mr. Miller 
imported from the herd of J. Morris of Hereford- 
shire the three-year-old cow Dolly Varden, with a 
bull calf at foot by Banquo (3667), the latter bred 
by Philip Turner of The Leen. This calf devel- 
oped into a splendid specimen of the breed and in 
Mr. Miller's hands under the name Success ac- 
quired celebrity, both as a show bull and sire. He 
doubtless owed much of his character to his mother, 
for Dolly Varden was not only the best cow of the 
breed up to that date seen in the west, but she car- 
ried a lot of sound old blood, the influence of which 
was apparent. She was got by Stow (3478), he 
by Sir Thomas (2228), son of Sir Benjamin by Sir 
David. Dolly Varden and Success advertised the 
Herefords with great effect. 

Success was not a big bull for those days, prob- 
ably not attaining much over 2,100 pounds in weight 
when in his best show form. But he was extreme- 
ly low on the leg, standing but 12 inches from the 
ground at the brisket and he had a handsome head. 
His fault was some weakness in the crops, which 
always gave him the appearance of being somewhat 
paunchy. Dolly was a big good smooth cow, and 
had been a winner in England before importation. 
These were the first Herefords to be imported west 
of the state of Ohio, so far as we can learn. This 
famous pair and a lot of well fitted home-bred cat- 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 361 

tie were extensively shown by Mr. Miller through- 
out the middle west, gaining many friends for the 
breed and resulting in important sales of breeding 
cattle for the foundation of new herds. 

Honors at Big Shows. — At the Northern Ohio 
Fair at Cleveland in 1876 the herd headed by Suc- 
cess won first prize over all breeds. This was the 
year of the Centennial Exposition at Fairmount 
Park, Philadelphia, Pa. Although Mr. Miller 
could not hope to win enough to pay his expenses, 
so determined was he that no good opportunity to 
exploit the breed should be lost, that at a cost to 
himself of some $2,000 he sent his herd, with Suc- 
cess at the head to this the first world's fair to be 
held in the United States. The cattle were much 
admired, and their class was judged by Hon. 
Thomas Duckham of England. A bronze medal — 
but no money — was presented by the Government 
Commissioners to Mr. Miller for the excellence of 
his exhibit. It was while at this exposition that the 
show bull Illinois, by Success, was sold to Hon. John 
Merryman. At the Illinois State Fair of 1877 Mr. 
Miller sold Mr. C. M. Culbertson three calves, in- 
cluding the heifers Sunrise and Sunset for $2,500. 
At a later date he sold four heifers by Success to 
Lucien Scott, Leavenworth, Kans., for $4,000. 

In 1878 T. L. Miller bought Sir Richard 2d and 
brought him to Beecher, 111. Success had beaten him 
at the Philadelphia Centennial show, because he 
was in much higher condition, but in the meantime 
the older bull had demonstrated wonderful capacity 



362 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

as a sire. Sir Richard 2d was then nearly ten years 
old and cost $500. After using him two or three 
years Mr. Miller parted with him to Tom Clark at 
$400. He was sold by Clark in 1882 to Earl & Stuart 
of Lafayette, Ind., siring some great calves while 
at Shadeland Farm, including the famous Elton 
line of bulls and the Eltona heifers. He passed into 
the possession of C. M. Culbertson in the fall of 
1882, and becoming useless at the age of fifteen 
years was sent to the butcher in the sjiring of 1884 
at a weight of 2,000 pounds, bringing $5.75 per cwt. 
on the Chicago market, when $6.75 was the very 
top for choice corn-fed native steers. 

Messrs. Clark and Culbertson bought all of the 
daughters of Sir Richard 2d they could obtain in 
the east. They were distinguished for their splen- 
did substance and scale — big massive cows, wonder- 
ful "fleshers" on good pasture, and rare breeders. 
A number of them were fitted and shown. For a 
young show herd, exhibited in 1882 by Fowler & 
Van Natta, of which three were heifers by Sir Rich- 
ard 2d, the sum of $5,000 was refused. One of his 
most noted sons was Fortune, famous in the hands 
of J. S. Hawes of Kansas. The show bull Dictator 
(1989), bred by Mr. Miller and sold to Mr. Field- 
ing W. Smith of Missouri was by a grandson called 
Seventy-Six (1093). 

"Old Dick", as Sir Richard 2d was commonly 
called, was not seen in western showyards. He 
was otherwise and more profitably engaged, 
throughout a long, busy and in every way illus- 



I 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 363 

trious career, as a stock-getter. He was a light- 
colored bull of medium size, and certainly possessed 
of genuine old-fashioned Herefordshire constitu- 
tion. He never weighed to exceed 2,200 pounds. 
He had a good masculine head with a waxy down- 
curved horn of medium size, a copper-colored nose, 
and very prominent eyes. His neck, which was 
short, was joined perfectly into well laid shoulders. 
His ribs were well sprung, supplying ample heart 
room and a broad expanse of back and loin. He 
was ribbed-up well at the hips, had straight quar- 
ters with good length from loin to rump, and his tail 
was perfectly set. His deep body was well carried 
on straight legs showing ample bone. 

George Morgan, "Jim" Powell and "Willie" 
Watson. — While Mr. Miller was the conspicuous, 
inflexible leader of the early movement to advance 
the Hereford cause throughout western America, 
and succeeded in making Beecher, 111., the hub of 
the business during its infancy in the middle west, 
he was ably aided in the practical management of 
the cattle intended for sale or show by certain old- 
countrymen who deserve special mention in this 
connection. 

Greorge Morgan, was a West Herefordshire man, 
born, in fact, only about four miles from Thomas 
Clark's birth-place. His father was a tenant 
farmer who dealt largely in sheep, but who also 
had a good knowledge of cattle. He came to the 
states a few months after Mr. Clark, and leased 
a farm near Elvria. Shortly afterwards he went 



364 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

back to England for Cotswold sheep. He then 
bought locally a few Herefords, and became a suc- 
cessful exhibitor and a recognized good judge of 
sheep as well as cattle. Shortly after Mr. Miller 
began his investments in cattle he hired Morgan to 
assist in the buying, handling and selling of the 
stock. It was while thus engaged that Mr. Culbert- 
son asked Mr. Miller to allow Morgan to go to Eng- 
land and buy a bull for the herd which he (Culbert- 
son) was starting at Newman, 111. This resulted in 
the importation of old Anxiety — but that is another 
story. Morgan's subsequent prominent identifica- 
tion with the trade will appear further on. 

James Powell was another capable English cat- 
tleman, a brother of William Powell, already men- 
tioned as being associated with Mr. Miller. The 
Powells had a lot to do with the successful introduc- 
tion of the Herefords in the newer west, and as this 
volume is written they are still actively interested 
in the business in Texas. Their father, Thomas 
Powell, lived upon a 200-acre farm some five miles 
from the historic city of Hereford, and kept a good 
herd of unregistered ''white faces", so that both 
James and William — members of a family of nine 
children — had an excellent practical training in 
their early years. 

James Powell came out to America in 1867 on the 
ship Louisiana, sixteen days at sea, and like many 
of his countrymen who afterwards became shining 
lights in the Hereford. trade, he headed for north- 
ern Ohio. William Powell had come to the States at 



i 






FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 365 

a still earlier date. At Cleveland Tom Clark was 
encountered, and James got work on a farm near 
Pittsfield. In 1871 the brothers moved to Beecher, 
111. At that time Mr. Miller had no Herefords. In 
1873 William brought out Dolly Varden and her 
calf, Success, not then weaned. James Powell is the 
man who fed and developed that famous show bull. 
He also fed Sir Charles and Sir Eichard 2d. A lit- 
tle later ''Jim," as he was familiarly called, went 
to C. M. Culbertson, working first with Harry Love- 
land, who shortly afterwards went to Earl & Stuart. 
Powell was with Culbertson four years and handled 
Anxiety and Sir Garnet. While in this employ he 
made several trips back to England with George 
Morgan, after cattle for Mr. Culbertson, Benjamin 
Hershey and the Wyoming Hereford Association. 
He was with the latter corporation for four years. 

"Uncle Willie" Watson, a canny Scot, came to 
America with all the prestige of the name of Wat- 
son of Keillor and apprenticesliips under some of 
the historic herdsmen of Great Britain to his credit. 
He was with Mr. Miller for a time, and put flesh on 
the ribs of more than one ''white face" that tor- 
mented competitors at fairs and fat stock shows. 
He went over, however, to his natural position 
among the Angus breeders, and at a later day made 
the farm of "Turlington", in Nebraska, famous 
throughout cattledom. 

Ed Monnington, another Englishman who came 
with the Earl & Stuart importation of 1881, worked 
for Mr. Clark for about four years, and was after- 



866 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

wards very successful in making up animals for sale 
or show in a number of other western herds, both 
Hereford and Shorthorn. 

American Herd Book Established. — The buy- 
ing of bulls for the range that now set in had the 
inevitable effect of starting many cornbelt farmers 
into the breeding of pedigree Herefords. Included 
in the number were a coterie of wealthy gentlemen 
whose operations soon dwarfed into comparative 
insignificance all that had been previously accomp- 
lished. Purebred heifers were ''going like hot 
cakes", and leaders in the business, foreseeing a lu- 
crative trade ahead, now planned a public registry. 

The American Hereford Herd Book was con- 
ceived at a conference held at Beecher, 111., in the 
month of August, 1877, at which time and place a 
committee was named to undertake the publication 
of the first volume. Mr. Miller, the leading spirit 
in the matter, gave liberally of his time and money, 
and with the cooperation of a small but aggressive 
band of breeders, being actively assisted by Thomas 
Clark, E. S. Shockey and others in the collection 
and arrangements of data, he succeeded in produc- 
ing in 1880 Volume 1 of the herd book ever since 
maintained for this breed in the United States. The 
charge for recording in this initial volume was $2, 
the company standing behind it being known as the 
"Breeders' Live Stock Association." 

Old-Time Controversies. — We should mention 
at this point that the press of this period reflected 
much bitterness on the part of certain prominent 



FOOTING GAINED IN MIDDLE WEST 367 

promoters of the Hereford propaganda. William 
H. Sotham was as fond of an argument as he was of 
the ''white faces", and in public and private de- 
nounced fair managers, judges and editors, some- 
times with justice and again with rather more zeal 
than fairness. His particular bete noir was a 
Bates-bred Shorthorn. All Shorthorns were bad in 
comparison with Herefords, and he believed that 
the Bates ''crowd" were then "running" every- 
thing, including all the fairs and the leading agri- 
cultural newspapers, and that they would not and 
did not "tote fair." Mr. Miller was equally bellig- 
erent, finally starting a newspaper of his own called 
"The Breeder's Journal", which he published for 
several years at Beecher, as an avowed "organ" of 
the breed. On the Shorthorn side Judge T. C. 
Jones, of Delaware, 0., a sturdy old lawyer-farmer 
of Welsh descent, replied with vigor and with dig- 
nity. T. Corwin Anderson, of Kentucky, and others 
wrote often in defense of the "red, white and roan". 
J. H. Sanders and George W. Rust, editorial writ- 
ers, first on the "National Live-Stock Journal" and 
later on "The Breeder's Gazette", were regular 
targets, and of course "came back" with some of 
the same sharpness which characterized the attacks. 
This controversy is of little interest, however, to 
the reader of today. All the parties to it now sleep 
beneath the bluegrass sod they loved in common. 
With this simple reference therefore to the histori- 
cal fact that such a war of words was waged we 
proceed with our narrative. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS AND THEIR 
INFLUENCE. 

From the beginning of their effort to introduce 
the breed into the cornbelt and upon the range the 
advocates of the Herefords had never lost an op- 
portunity to claim superiority for their cattle over 
the Shorthorns of that era in point of constitution, 
feeding quality and general adaptability to the prac- 
tical demands of those whose object was the eco- 
nomical production of beef. Fortunately for them, 
at the psychological moment in their campaign the 
American Fat Stock Show was established. This 
afforded them the very stage they needed to demon- 
strate the value of their bulls as steer-getters, in 
such a way as to rivet the attention of the entire 
country. It is impossible to exaggerate the im- 
portance of the influence exerted by this exhibition 
not only upon the Herefords and the Shorthorns, 
but upon the general type of American beef cattle 
as bred in 1880. We shall here digress long enough, 
therefore, to outline the part it played in Hereford 
progress. 

The initial American Fat Stock Show was held 
at Chicago in the fall of 1878 under the auspices of 
the Illinois State Board of Agriculture, and it is 

368 



FIRST- PAT STOCK SHOWS 369 

ot too much to say that it marked an epoch in the 
Lstory of beef-making in the United States. The 
low was the logical outgrowth of conditions exist- 
[g at the time. Such a tribunal was demanded not 
ily for a comparison of the relative values of dif- 
srent breeds for producing profitable steers, but 
> try the general economic issue of big bulk vs. 
iby beef, then just looming large as a mooted ques- 
on. 

The exhibition, which was a genuine novelty in 
lis country at the time, was staged in the old Ex- 
Dsition Building, long since demolished, that stood 
1 the site of the handsome structure that now 
)uses the Chicago Art Institute on the Lake Front, 
t the point where Adams Street terminates in 
-ichigan Boulevard. Following is a list of the 
ficers and members of the Illinois State Board of 
griculture that took this important forward step 
behalf of western stock-growers : 
D. B. Gilham, Alton, President ; John P. Reynolds, 
hicago, ex-President; S. D. Fisher, Springfield, 
reasurer; John W. Bunn, Springfield, Secretary; 
Bwis Ellsworth, Naperville, Vice-President; H. D. 
mery, Chicago ; Jonathan Periam, Chicago ; Geo. S. 
askell, Rockford; J. L. Moore, Polo; Samuel 
ysart, Franklin Grove ; Charles Snoad, Joliet ; 
mory Cobb, Kankakee ; D. W. Vittum, Jr., Canton ; 
amuel Douglas, Monmouth ; David E. Beaty, Jer- 
'yville; James W. Judy, Tallula; Wm. M. Smith, 
exington ; James R. Scott, Champaign ; E. H. 
ishop, Effingham; B. Pullen, Centralia; M. T. 



370 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Stookey, Belleville; J. M. Washburn, Carterville, 
and John Lanclrigan, Albion. 

Soon after the show was established Hon. Lafay- 
ette Funk of Shirley, 111., became a member of the 
board, and for a long series of years he had imme- 
diate charge of the cattle classes, endearing himself 
to all who had to do with the show by his unfailing 
courtesy and his keen sense of fairness, as well as 
by the intelligence and industry which he always 
brought to the work of staging these first great 
shows of Christmas beef in the United States. Mr. 
John B. Sherman, then General Manager of the 
Union Stock Yards, and the late Philip D. Armour, 
were liberal and enthusiastic patrons of the show at 
a time when it stood in direst need of financial 
suppart. 

Col. James W. Judy, the great live stock auc- 
tioneer of this stirring period in the live stock de- 
velopment of the west, and for many years a promi- 
nent figure on the Illinois State Board of Agricul- 
ture, also rendered splendid service in promoting 
the success of the Fat Stock Show. Credit should 
be given in this connection also to Col. Charles F. 
Mills, who in his capacity as Assistant Secretary of 
the Illinois State Board of Agriculture and subse- 
quently as Secretary of that body, did much to 
systematize the work of organization and in the dis- 
tribution of facts developed by the annual compe- 
titions. 

Breaking Away from Old Standards. — Recog- 
nizing the prevailing practice of the feeders of that 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 871 

period, the prizelist for the first fat stock show in- 
cluded classes for "steers four years old and over." 
The dominant blood employed by the better class of 
farmers and ranchmen of the "seventies" was the 
Shorthorn — not the short-legged, blocky, early-ma- 
turing sort so familiar to fair-goers of the present 
day, but the high-headed, up-standing, broad-hooked, 
long-quartered kind that was not commonly consid- 
ered marketable as prime lieef until the steers had 
attained the age of four or five years. 

Signs were not wanting, however, as early as 
1878, of impending changes in the best feedlot prac- 
tice. Influences were at work tending to convince 
the younger generation, at least, that it was poor 
economy to carry a bullock to such weights and ages 
as was customary at that date. Pioneer mid-west 
scientists, like the late Prof. George E. Morrow of 
the University of Illinois, were persistently calling 
the attention of farmers to the great expense at 
which added pounds were gained as the steer ad- 
vanced in age. Enterprising breeders and feeders 
were already testing the forcing process on younger 
cattle, and were soon to furnish a fine demonstration 
of the fact that prevailing methods were wasteful in 
the extreme, and should be abandoned. While the 
"big ones" still had the call when the doors opened 
upon the first show, the more progressive elements 
in the cattle trade rejoiced that, at last, an oppor- 
tunity would be given for competitive tests whicli 
they believed would prove a valuable object lesson 
to all concerned. 



372 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

John D. Gillett, Pioneer Exhibitor. — The late 
John D. Gillett of Elkhart, 111., was the acknowl- 
edged cattle king of the cornbelt at that date. 
His great red steers, the envy of all of his con- 
temporaries, topped the Chicago Christmas markets 
and were the first American cattle to go forward 
alive to London. He was the real founder of the 
American export cattle trade, which afterwards 
grew to such great proportions, reaching its climax 
in the year 1905, when cattle valued at $42,256,291 
were landed in England from United States ports, 
chiefly for the London and Liverpool trade. The 
decline of this great trade has, however, been even 
more rapid in recent years than was its rise; the 
domestic supply has now fallen below the needs of 
our own market and prices have risen to a level that 
makes it impossible to ship cattle abroad at a profit. 

The Gillett cattle were to all intents and purposes 
purebred Shorthorns — not registered, but descended 
from sound old Kentucky stock. Mr. Gillett was a 
big man, mentally and physically, and he did things 
in a big, open-handed way. He owned a great estate 
of rich corn-and-bluegrass land, maintained a large 
cow herd for the production of his own steers, and 
annually sold some of his best bull calves to other 
enterprising steer-breeders who sought to emulate 
his example. Chief among these should be men- 
tioned the late Hon. D. M. Moninger, Galvin, la., 
whose fame as a producer, feeder and exhibitor of 
prime cattle became second only to that of Mr. Gil- 
lett himself. 




tlohn B. Sherman 



Lafayette Funk 



374 . A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

It was to such meu as these that the Fat Stock 
Show made its first and most successful appeal. Mr. 
Gillett responded to the earliest call for exhibits 
with several loads, the pick of his beef crop of 1878, 
and was pleased beyond measure at adding to his 
laurels as the first cattleman of America by winning 
the grand championship for best single steer in tlie 
show and the same prize for best carload of any age 
or breed. 

Some Wonderful Weights. — As coming events 
are said to cast their shadows before, it was looked 
upon as a significant fact upon this occasion that the 
steer with which Mr. Gillett won this primal Ameri- 
can championship was not yet four years old and 
weighed but 2,185 pounds ! That would seem to be 
a right good weight for a ripe steer now, but listen 
to this account of the sensational class of that old- 
time show reproduced from the report of the exhi- 
bition printed in the January, 1879, issue of the 
"National Live-Stock Journal": 

"This was probably the most remarkable group 
of steers ever seen together in America. There 
were twelve steers in the class, ranging in weight 
from 1,980 to 3,155 pounds, and averaging 2,491 ; 
and, leaving out the smallest two of the lot, the aver- 
age of the remaining ten was 2,594 pounds. They 
wore all high-grade Shorthorns excepting one, the 
smallest steer of the lot, a grade Hereford weighing 
1,980 pounds, but although the smallest steer in the 
ring, he was not the poorest butcher beast by long 
odds. The largest ox, weighing 3,155 pounds, was 
shown by Charles Miller, Williamsville, 111. He 
was five years old in June last, and attracted uni- 




Geo.E.Morrow I I Chas.E Mitts 



376 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

versal attention on account of his huge proportions ; i 
but lie was rather coarse, and was especially faulty | 
and ragged in the conformation of his rump. 

*'The tirst-prize steer was the third largest ani- 
mal in the group, and the largest of all the first- 
prize winners. He possessed unusual smoothness, 
fineness, and evenness for so large a steer, and was 
especially remarkable for excellence in the hind- 
quarters. Had he been equally good in the fore- 
quarters he would have been hard to beat in any 
ring, and, as it was, the placing of the blue ribbon 
upon him gave very general satisfaction. There 
were steers in the ring of lighter weight that would 
have cut up better, but taking the size and quality 
both into account, the committee, which had in very 
few cases appeared to attach much importance to 
mere weight, were unanimous in their award. 

''The second-prize animal was the heaviest beast 
in the show that received a prize, and was the second 
largest animal on exhibition, but he was not equal to 
the winner in smoothness nor quality. In this ring 
Messrs. Vanmeter & Hamiltons, of Kentucky, exhib- 
ited four steers that were much admired, weighing 
respectively 2,650, 2,610, 2,350 and 2,215. Mr. Mon- 
inger, of Iowa, exhibited another steer by the side of 
the first-prize ox, that weighed 2,480 ; Messrs. Fisher 
& Whitney, of Michigan, one weighing 2,350. Mr. 
George Grey, of Indiana, showed another beside the 
second-prize winner, that weighed 2,550. Mr. J. D. 
Gillett, of Illinois, showed a compact, blocky, well- 
developed, fine-boned steer, weighing 2,020, and Mr. 
T. L. Miller, of Illinois, a grade Hereford, before 
mentioned, weighing 1,980." 

First Fat Stock Show Herefords. — It will be 
observed that there was but one "white face" bul- 
lock seen in this extraordinary line of behemoths, 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 377 

and as he belonged to a then more or less despised 
race and weighed only 1,980 pounds, what chance 
did he stand? None, of course. This was in the 
grade and crossbred division. 

The classes for purebred Herefords developed an 
animal that caused the vastly interested crowd of 
farmers, ranchmen, feeders and butchers to ''sit 
up and take notice." This entry was the good cow 
Jennie, by Sir Arthur, bred near Elyria, 0., and 
shown by Mr. Miller. She was four years old, 
weighed 1,595 pounds, and won first in her class 
and the female championship of the show over all 
breeds and crosses. Even the advocates of the 
Shorthorns and Devons — the only other breeds ap- 
pearing at this initial show — conceded her superi- 
ority in point of refinement and wealth of flesh. 
Jennie was in fact much neater than the average of 
her race in the west at that date, and by reason of 
that fact attracted all the more attention to her 
breed. It must be remembered in this connection 
that the efforts of Mr. Miller and his colleagues to 
popularize Herefords in the west had been made 
almost altogether with cattle of domestic production 
descending from the earlier Canadian, New Eng- 
land, New York, Maryland and Ohio importations. 
Aside from Jennie the Hereford class at the first 
American Fat Stock Show gave no special evidence 
of strength. Prizes being offered for steers "four 
years and over," Mr. Miller exhibited a seven-year- 
old work ox of John Merryman's breeding, shown 
at a weight of 2,010 pounds. This was by way of 



378 A HISTORY OP' HEREFORD CATTLE 

illustrating the fact that a Hereford steer could 
serve a useful purpose on the farm as a draft ani- 
mal and then carry a great carcass of good beef 
to the block. This, the first Hereford bullock to 
enter the national fat stock show ring in the United 
States, dressed 6914 per cent net to gross. 

Miller also exhibited a three-year-old steer, an 
own brother to the ox above mentioned, at a weight 
of 1,705 pounds, and received first prize in the 
Hereford class over Wm. Powell's entry. Another 
steer of the Merryman blood, with the same sire 
and dam. Sir Kichard 2d and Jenny Clark, was the 
only two-year-old Hereford entry. No yearlings 
were shown, 

"Baby Beef." — Portentous of an impending 
change in type was the fact that in the Shorthorn 
class James N. Brown's Sons, Grove Park, Sanga- 
mon Co., 111., exhibited a white yearling steer of 
their own breeding that weighed 1,480 pounds and 
showed a gain per day from birth of 2.28 pounds. 
He won first in his class and the yearling champion- 
ship of the hall. 

Here was a lesson in early maturity that "jarred" 
many of the old-timers tremendously. It indicated 
that the four-and-five-year-old plan might after all 
not be an up-to-date method of profitably converting 
good corn and bluegrass into prime beef. Many 
were the caucuses held that week over this then- 
wonderful Shorthorn steer, Duke Sangamon. In 
the ring, outside the rail, and at the yards were 
men who said that his marvelous weight for age 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 379 

meant revolution — an inevitable "revision down- 
ward" of the age and scale of prime cattle — and 
so it proved. His exhibition in point of fact pre- 
saged the early passing of the tallowj^ monstrosities 
then deemed the acme of the feeder's art, and the 
Hereford contingent, seeing the opening presented, 
at once laid plans to go after the prizes with "white 
faces" of a more modern type. 

The Second Round. — History was made rap- 
idly by these early shows. On the tenth of Decem- 
ber, 1879, the doors of the old Exposition Building 
on the Lake Front were again thrown open and 
an eager throng gathered to see what the twelve- 
month had developed. Excitement was at fever 
heat. Breed partisanship — contrasting strangely 
with the era of good-fellowship upon which we 
have now happily come — began to show its ugly 
front, and yet it was apparent that the prime con- 
sideration still was the matter of size and weight as 
related to economical production. The Herefords 
were not yet strong enough to arouse the Shorthorn 
ranks to a full sense of the danger of their position 
as the erstwhile ruling race. 

Sherman's Tallow Mountains. — Mr. Gillett's 
champion of 1878 had been named John B. Sherman 
in honor of the general manager of the Chicago 
Union Stock Yards. Mr. Sherman had evinced a 
lively interest in the success of the new show and 
by way of advertising it and stimulating interest 
he bought a number of the best of the Gillett ex- 
hibit and established them in comfortable boxes in 



380 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the historic section of the yards formerly known 
as Dexter Park. Thus, not far from the scene of 
our contemporary exhibitions of fat stock in the 
International Hall, there were to be seen by gaping 
crowds during the year 1879, and for several years 
thereafter, show cattle such as had never before 
been seen and such also as will probably never be 
seen again. 

These Sherman steers were sent "down town" 
in December for the edification of the visitors at 
the second annual show. They walked into the 
building, although locomotion in their case was no 
joke, at a weight of over 2,800 pounds each. Need- 
less to say they were the wonder of the week, so 
far as the reporters of the daily press, the ''city 
folk," amateur farmers generally, and women and 
children were concerned, and they got second money 
in the senior carlot class. There was at that time 
and for several years following, Omnipotency only 
knows why, a prize for "heaviest fat steer," and 
one of these stock yard monsters usually took down 
the money. 

Shorthorns Win Again. — Mr. Gillett came to 
the fore again with another brave array of his best 
and made a clean sweep in the carload classes on 
fours-and-over, threes, twos and yearlings, "rub- 
bing it in" by taking both first and second in the 
three-year-old section. He also gained the four- 
year-old and the yearling prizes in the sweepstake- 
by-ages competition among individual steers of all 
breeds. 




NICHOLS, CHAMPION SHORTHORN STEER OF 1879-From drawing by 

Dewey. * ■' 




TYPE OP THE "YOUNG MARY" SHORTHORN BULLOCKS SHOWN FROM 
KENTUCKY— From drawing by Dewey. 



382 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Kentucky had been creditably represented at the 
show of 1878. Ben F. Vanmeter and the Hamiltons 
had exhibited a quartette of aged Shorthorn steers 
each weighing over 2,000 pounds and all belonging 
to the famous family of ]ventucky Shorthorns 
known as "Young Marys" — a jjrolific, and for a 
long series of years, a useful and profitable dual- 
purpose type, the cows milking well and the steers 
growing into fine carcasses of prime beef. 

In the battle of 1879 another Kentuckian, Mr. J. 
H. Graves, won the championship with the grand 
roan steer Nichols, shown as a three-year-old Short- 
horn weighing 2,060 pounds. Nichols came back the 
following year as a five-year-old grade, of which 
more anon. One member of the awarding commit- 
tee in this champion contest was Mr. John G. Imbo- 
den, Decatur, 111., who has seen continuous service 
at American fat stock shows ever since as exhibitor, 
judge or ring steward.* 

*At these early shows each entry was carefully measured by 
a committee appointed for that purpose. The tapeline was ap- 
plied to no less than fifteen different points, taking- in everything 
that was deemed worth noting- in connection with the length, 
breadth and depth of each animal. This interesting but tedious 
and not specially practical work was not long continued, for ob- 
vious reasons. 

In the first place, some of the "untamed" beasts brought direct 
from the pastures to the exposition building resented the un- 
necesary handling, and committeemen had various narrcw escapes 
from personal injury. Besides, the show grew so rapidly in ex- 
hibits that it soon became physically impossible to measure 
everything in time for the judging. 

Mr. J. H. Sanders instituted another scheme by way of illus- 
trating his reports of the show. He conceived the idea of com- 
paring cross-sections of competing animals to develop the actual 
contour of the body. By the use of lead pipe this was success- 
fully accomplished, and the outlines thus secured were reproduced 
by photography to show the difference in the arch of rib between 
the Hereford cow Jennie and the Shorthorn cow Red Bettie, the 
chief contestants for the female championship of the show of 1S79. 
From these it would almost seem as if Mr. Sanders' claim in his 
report of that show, that the Hereford should have won, was 
well supported. 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 383 

Wliilp not able as yet to land the grand cham- 
pionship of the show the Herefords advanced their 
lines nevertheless, Mr. Miller winning the first prize 
for fonr-year-olds in the grade class and worrying 
the Shorthorn cow Bed Bettie badly for the cow 
championship. This he did with Jennie, carried 
over from the show of '78, and presented in such 
form as to win many friends for the honor she had 
so worthily gained the year previous. 

The Block Test Set Up.— It was at this show 
of 1879 that the block test was set up. The Short- 
horn exhibitors did not take kindly to the idea, how- 
ever, and at first fought shy of it. Miller went after 
the prize with a grade four-year-old Hereford and 
won it, his steer weighing 1,963 pounds alive and 
1,317 pounds dressed, netting 67.09 per cent. A 
1,796-pound Shorthorn dressed 1,179 pounds, or 
65.68 per cent, and a 1,614-pound Devon killed out 
1,055 pounds, or 65.36 per cent. 

The Show of 1880. — The four-year-old-aud- 
over classes were now abolished, but by some pe- 
culiar inconsistency the grand championship was 
still left open to steers of any age — ''a tub to the 
whale" presumably, to appease the ire of those 
who at that time insisted stoutly that heef under 
four years of age was not the real article. This 
had, however, an unfortunate issue at the third 
show. The championship award went to the same 
steer (Nichols) that had been champion in 1879 
over T. L. Miller's grade Hereford two-year-old 
Conqueror, and gave rise to an angry controversy. 



384 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Nichols had been shown in 1879 as a purebred 
three-year-old ; he came back in 1880 as a five-year- 
old grade ! Mr. Graves claimed that he had entered 
him in good faith in 1879 as a purebred, aged three 
years, on the strength of a bill of sale given by 
the breeder of the bullock, but that subsequent de- 
velopments had disproved both age and breeding. 
It was argued that it was manifestly absurd to 
permit an animal to be shown one year as one thing 
and be re-entered the following year as something 
else, and he was accordingly protested, but the 
board held Mr. Graves guiltless of intent to commit 
fraud and accepted the entry for the grand sweep- 
stakes of 1880, which, as above stated, he received. 
Had he been an outstanding winner, little criticism 
might have been passed, but candid opinion con- 
ceded that the Hereford Conqueror, age considered, 
as a more modern type and the declared two-year-old 
champion of the Hall, was really entitled to the top 
honor of the show, as against the 2,500-pound 
Shorthorn. The Hereford indeed received the vote 
of one of three judges, and his defeat in the face 
of the protest that had been lodged against Nichols 
served to fan the flame of partisanship which now 
began to illumine the bovine horizon far and wide. 
Fresh fuel fed the fire as a result of the two suc- 
ceeding shows. 

In the killing contest of 1880 four of the six en- 
tries were by Hereford bulls. One of these. Mossy 
Coat, an 1,812-pound grade, dressed 69.29 per cent. 
At this show John B. Sherman again took the 




P.I \1()\ s ClfAMI'IuA -10^\L1 R ^. \ v\x >'.■-,.. . ~, 

^"^^^'- •'^ \AA.NAi'iA'S KAMUUS GRADF HPBT,' 
FORD SHOW STEBR-Drawing by Dewey. 




ItOAN BOY-C. M. CULBERTSON'S GRADE. FI 



RST TO WIN GRAND CHAM- 



nOXSniP FOR the HEREFOHDS-F,.o,n <.;.•;: ,:; rr^:". 



386 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

''heaviest fat steer" prize with Nels Morris, a 
grade Shorthorn tipping the beam at 3,125 pounds ! 
This steer measured 9 feet, 6 inches around the 
heart, 9 feet, 9 inches at the flank, and stood 5 
feet, 514 inches high. He was one of the marvels 
of his day, and as such was carried over at the 
yards for another j^ear, coming back to the show in 
1881 at the reduced weight of 2,900 pounds, and 
again winning the prize offered for the heaviest fat 
steer. 

Culbertson Enters the Lists. — The Nichols in- 
cident stirred the Hereford camp to still greater 
activities in the steer line. Conqueror's character 
had convinced them that they now had their antago- 
nists on the defensive at last, and at the show of 
1881 two exhibitors, who afterwards assumed lead- 
ership in the Hereford campaign, came into the 
prizelist. These were Thomas Clark and C. M. Cul- 
bertson. The former we have already introduced; 
the latter was a wealthy Chicago business man, an 
old-time packer at the yards, partner in the firm of 
Culbertson & Blair, and owner of a great farm in 
one of the richest corn-growing districts of the , 
world — the deep black "Broadlands" in Douglas | 
Co., 111. Mr. Culbertson had observed the steady 
advances of the Herefords and he became one of j 
their most able and enthusiastic advocates. He was | 
a feeder of cattle for the Chicago market, and his \ 
first honor won at the fat stock show was the block | 
championship awarded in 1881 to the fine carcass of 
his 1,835-pound steer. Broad Horns. 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 387 

Another "Row" Over the Championship.— 

Once more the "old-timers" scored a win for the 
1881 championship, but under circumstances that 
did not send the Hereford host home in very good 
humor. Mr. Gillett continued to cut a big swath 
in the show, but in the first ring which he entered 
upon this occasion he met defeat at the hands of 
the Hereford, Conqueror,* brought over from the 
show of 1880 with consummate skill at a weight of 
2,145 pounds to head a high-class lot of 24 three- 
year-olds. A Kentucky Shorthorn shown by Mor- 
row & Muir was placed second, with Gillett 's Bar- 
ney third. 

At that time there was a "sweepstake by ages" 
class, entrance to which was not limited, as now, to 
the winners of the various ages in the different 
classes; and so it transpired, that with a new com- 
mittee working, a 2,095-pound red steer called Mc- 
Mullin, a Gillett entry that had not even been placed 
in the ring for three-year-old grades, was given the 
championship of the show for steers of that age, 
over the bright particular star of the Hereford 
stalls, which had beaten him earlier in the week. 
The committee was two hours in doing this, there 
being twenty-five contestants. The tension about 
the ringside was extreme, and when Conqueror 
finally lost there was wrath in the house of Here- 
ford. 



♦Conqueror was bred by Mr. Miller from a bull called Seventy- 
Six, a son of Sir Richard 2d (4984). The dam of the steer was a 
grade Devon. George Waters fed him the first year at Mr. 
Miller's sale barn on Root Street near the Chicago Union Stock 
Yards. Meantime "Uncle Willie" Watson had gone to work for 
Miller, and fed the steer for his second appearance. 



388 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

To make matters worse a protest by Mr. Ciilbert- 
son alleged that this steer McMiillin was ineligible 
to show in the three-year-old ring, that as a matter 
of fact he was a four-year-old. This was disallowed 
— further proof, of course, to Hereford eyes tliat 
the management was "packed" against their inter- 
ests. And so the great event of the cattle year, the 
show for the grand championship of the Hall, came 
on. The same committee that had preferred the 
Shorthorn to the Hereford was ordered to tie the 
ribbon. This was almost more than the Hereford 
partisans could bear. They made indignant protest, 
but to no avail. The author remembers well the 
suppressed excitement of the hours that followed. 
A good part of the afternoon was consumed by the 
five men constituting the judicial bench, but from 
the beginning there was only one outcome possible 
under the circumstances. Only by stultifying them- 
selves could the jury reverse the previous decision ; 
and yet they knew that a veritable volcano was 
ready to explode the moment they ordered the prize 
to McMullin. This they did amidst the mingled 
cheers and maledictions of the victors and van- 
quished.* 

War to the Knife. — At a meeting of the Here- 
ford association held at the Grand Pacific Hotel on 
Friday night after this contest, showing a member- 



*At this show Mr. Marshall Field, Chicago's dry-g-oods mer- 
chant prince of that period, offered a prize of $250 for best pen 
of five cattle of any age or breed, and Mr. Miller won it, a de- 
cision which atoned somewhat for the defeat of Conqueror. Mr. 
Field afterwards stocked a Nebraska ranch with Herefords. 
which for a long series of years were under the able manage- 
ment of Mr. Thomas Mortimer. 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 389 

ship of 34— not many, but militant— Mr. Culbert- 
son, who now virtually assumed the leadership 
which up to this time had been exercised by Mr. 
Miller, called upon the faithful to at once prepare 
to fight the Shorthorns to a finish at future fat 
stock shows. Looking towards that end, Mr. Cul- 
bertson exhorted the members to castrate not less 
than 300 bull calves, and from this number to select 
100 of the best for showing; one or two men should 
no longer bear the burden; the load was too heavy; 
the stake was too large. For himself he pledged 
forty calves as a starter and Mr. J. E. Price fol- 
lowed with a promise of thirty more. Messrs. Swan 
Bros. & Frank said they could be depended upon for 
fifty. 

Mr. Burleigh of Maine stated that although he 
"hailed from a country where it was said thev had 
to line the noses of their cattle with steel so that 
they could graze on the flinty hills, and although 
they had to bring corn from Chicago to feed them," 
lie would alter every grade calf dropped on his place 
and he would also alter five purebreds and fit them 
for this show. 

Mr. Clark said that ''gentlemen would do well to 
bear in mind that if they wanted good steers they 
must alter good calves." 

Mr. Gudgell thought that it was best to show 
purebreds. Hereford breeders would get no credit 
for the grades, no matter how good. The Short- 
horn breeders would claim that the good quality all 
came from the Shorthorn blood. ''We must meet 



390 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

them, and beat tliem with Herefords," he said. He 
would alter two purebreds — good ones — and there 
was no breeder present who could not well afford 
to sacrifice at least one good calf for the cause. 
Mr. Burleigh also did not like to hear so much talk 
about showing grades. He wanted pure Herefords, 
good representatives of the breed, so that there 
could be no dodging the question, and no excuse for 
withholding the credit to the Hereford blood. He 
would alter four and show them. 

Mr. Hershey said he did not want to hear any 
more talk of showing grades. Hereford breeders 
must show Herefords. In response to a question 
from Mr. Culbertson as to how many purebreds he 
would alter, he responded, *'As many as you will." 
Mr. Burleigh of Iowa said he would alter thirty 
grades, and "as many more as he could get." 

Naturally Shorthorn breeders were satisfied with 
the way things were going, and at the annual meet- 
ing of their association, held the same week, the 
show was warmly commended and its management 
praised. That Conqueror and the Hereford block- 
winners had made some of them somewhat nervous 
was evidenced, however, by some of the discussion 
at this meeting of 1881. For example: 

Mr. Streeter said that Shorthorn breeders should 
''wake up to the importance of making steers of 
some of their best purebreds, and bringing them out 
to compete with the Herefords." The gauntlet had 
been ''thrown defiantly down by the Hereford men, 
and we must take it up. We have the material to 




T. L. MILLER'S GRADE HEREFORD CONQUEROR. CHAMPION TWO-YEAR- 
OLD OF 1880 — From drawing by Dewey. 




EARL & STDARTS IMPORTED PURE-BRED HEREFORD BULLOCK 
WABASH — From drawing by Dewey. 



392 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

'skunk' them every time, if we will only bring it 
out." 

Col. J olm Scott, of Iowa, spoke with warmth con- 
cerning the duty of the Shorthorn breeders of his 
state to sustain this show as a matter of pride and 
self-interest. There was "but one Hereford breed- 
er in the state, and he was here with his choicest 
specimens; there were thousands of Shorthorn 
l)reeders, but not one of them was represented. The 
Oollings fatted the White Heifer, and showed her 
all over the Kingdom of Great Britain, and thereby 
called puiblic attention to the merits of the Short- 
horn. Modern breeders might profit by their ex- 
ample. ' ' 

Falling Walls. — The twelve months intervening 
between the show of 1881 and that of 1882 were 
crowded with events that stirred both Shorthorn 
and Hereford breeding circles to their very deptlis 
— events which had their inception largely in the 
lessons being taught by the fat stock show. The old 
guard that had so long dominated the Sliorthorn 
kingdom began to fear for the safety of the struc- 
ture they had so laboriously builded. New stand- 
ards were being forced upon the notice of the 
country by the yearling and two-year-old rings, and 
especially by the Hereford entries at the big show 
that had now become the annual battle-ground for 
the fiercely contending breeds. The question was as 
to how long the big, up-standing cattle of the Gil- 
lett-Moninger-Kentucky type could hold the fort. 
And there were rumblings, ominous and deep, of a 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 393 

coming revolution in the entire method of produc- 
ing purebred Shorthorns. The words "Scotch," 
"Cruickshank" and "Aberdeenshire" were being 
heard, although it was still rank heresy to insinuate 
aught against the sacred nature of the true faith 
in the "divine right" of cattle descended from the 
far-famed herd of rare old "Tommy" Bates of 
Kirklevington. 

"The Breeder's Gazette" was established in De- 
cember, 1881, with the author of this work in charge 
of cattle matters. The waning glory and failing 
merit of the prevailing fashionable type of Short- 
horns was obvious. The new journal gave space to 
the truth about the Shorthorn situation, and 
promptly recognized the practical utility of the 
Herefords as well. Its influence was thrown in be- 
lialf of a new order of things, and clearly reflected 
the trend of public sentiment, as was evidenced by 
its instantaneous success. 

Col. William A. Harris of Lin wood, Kans., had 
l)egun Shorthorn breeding operations that were des- 
tined to change the whole character of the trans- 
Mississippi trade in the "red, white and roans." 
Men like James I. Davidson and Hon. John Dryden 
of Canada, J. H. Potts & Son of Illinois, J. H. 
Kissinger of Missouri, and others, led a revolt in the 
Shorthorn camp in behalf of a shorter-legged, 
earlier-maturing kind of cattle. They found wide- 
spread popular support, at the same time reaping 
a whirlwind of wrath and vituperation at the hands 
of "vested interests." Meantime memorable acces- 



394 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

sions liad been made to the ranks of the fighting 
friends of the Herefords. 

Adams Earl and his able and aggressive son-in- 
law, the late lamented Charles B. Stuart, of Lafay- 
ette, Ind., Gudgell & Simpson of Independence, Mo., 
Hon. M. H. Cochrane of Canada, Benjamin Her- 
shey, a millionaire lumberman of Muscatine, la., 
Moses Fowler, a banker of Lafayette, Ind., and 
hard-headed practical William S. VanNatta, to- 
gether with C. M. Culbertson and others, aided and 
abetted by old-countrymen like ''Tom" Clark, 
George Morgan, William Powell, "Tom" Pouting, 
John Gosling and others, were all attracted by the 
exciting and revolutionary proceedings now every- 
where 'in evidence at the stock yards, on ''the 
plains," in cornbelt feedlots and at the fat stock 
shows. They entered into the spirit of the .contest, 
some with the zeal of new converts, others backed by 
ample capital and favored by every natural condi- 
tion. Best of all, this took place at the psycholog- 
ical moment when old Horace, Lord Wilton and 
The Grove 3d were filling the Herefordshire pas- 
tures and the Eoyal Show Yard of England with 
the most extraordinary specimens of white-faced 
beauty the breed had ever produced. So it hap- 
pened that by the time the show of 1882 came 
around, new importations, new faces and new en- 
thusiasm had wrought marked transformation. 

"Last of the Mohicans. "—The year 1882 wrote 
"finis" upon the scroll whereon are inscribed 
the championships won by the old-style cattle; it 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 395 

was fitting that the last honor to be paid should fall 
to Mr. Gillett. Throughout all the Mississippi Val- 
ley states he had for almost a generation carried 
high the banner of good blood as an essential ele- 
ment in successful cattle-feeding. He was now ap- 
proaching the close of his career as the acknowl- 
edged leader in his field. He had followed the 
standards of his time to their highest possible devel- 
opment and was too far 'advanced in years either 
to change his type of cattle or to forsake the Short- 
horn for any substitute. He made these first fat 
stock shows possible. He was as gracious in defeat 
as in an hour of triumph, and bravely fought the 
battle for the big ones to the very end. 

No less than forty-one steers were contributed by 
Mr. Gillett to the show of 1882, among them being 
McMullin, champion of 1881, brought back at a 
weight of 2,565 pounds. This impressive demon- 
stration was backed up in royal fashion by Iowa's 
crown prince of cattle feeders, D. M. Moninger, Mr. 
Gillett 's most distinguished disciple, with twenty 
massive corn-fed bullocks that were rich enough to 
sate the stomach of the heartiest John Bull in all 
Britain. Both of these exhibits represented the last 
word in the open-air, corn-and-grass-made beef of 
the period. They represented prime-beef produc- 
tion upon a large commercial scale. The day of the 
hand-fed, sugar-stuffed, blanketed and pampered 
beauties from the basement boxes of professional 
showmen had not yet struck, although near at hand. 

Mr. Moninger 's Tom Brown was declared best 



396 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

three-year-old grade in the show, and best three- 
year-old of any sort in the building. The Gillett 
and Moninger hosts carried away all the carlot 
prizes, tind to cap the climax McMullin was again, 
after a long and memoral)le contest, declared the 
best beast of any age or breed on exhibition. 

Various Types in Evidence. — This was a week 
of intense interest to all students of the industry. 
The old regime was successfully fighting, but with 
its back against the wall. The handiwork of the 
professional fitter was in evidence in both Short- 
horn and Hereford stalls, but there was as yet no 
settled standard being followed. John Hope, an 
artist in the line of bringing out jjurebred Short- 
horns for exhibition, had come to the rescue of the 
falling fortunes of the Bates dynasty l)y sending 
over from Bow Park, Brantford, Ont., from the 
herd of the Canada West Farm Stock Association,* 
a beautiful big white yearling, weighing 1,620 
pounds, which was afterwards to win fame greater 
than any of his predecessors — Clarence Kirkleving- 
ton. J. H. Potts & Son, famed in every state fair 



*This once-famous nursery of 'Bates-bred Shorthorn cattle was 
founded by Hon. George Brown, of the Toronto "Globe." John 
Hope, the manager, was an experienced English cattleman, who 
did mucli to uphold the fortunes of the Bates-bred cattle during 
the evil days that fell upon them as a natural result of abuse 
in methods of breeding met with by a once-noble strain of cat- 
tle at the hands of numerous amateurs and speculators on botli 
sides of the Atlantic. Hope had no sympathy with those who 
disregarded individual merit in the animal, or who dealt merely 
in pedigrees. He was a tower of strength in a time of need, and 
with this white bullock, by the great Duchess sire, 4th Duke 
of Clarence, he made a record not equaled at the fat stock show 
before or since. ' 

It was to Bow Park, which he had visited during his American • 
tour of 1874, that Mr. John Clay, now head of the live stock f 
commission house of Clay, Robinson & Co., came as manager 
when he left his loved Tweed-aide for America in 1879. 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 397 

showyard of the period for tlieir -great Dnke of 
Riclimond herds of breeding cattle of Aberdeen- 
shire origin, were also in the running, so that the 
big case of Scotch vs. Bates, then raging in the 
Shorthorn breeding sh.ows, here found an echo in 
the grosser competition for the favor of the steer 
feeder and the butcher. 

Potts' Red Major defeated Clarence Kirkleving- 
ton for the yearling championship, and was pro- 
nounced probably the ripest steer of his age on ex- 
hibition. This naturally gladdened the hearts of 
the advocates of the newly introduced Scotch blood; 
but the great scion of the Duchess-and-Oxford line 
bided his time, and lived to fight a sensationally suc- 
cessful battle another day, yet in the future. The 
Messrs. Gratf of Canada also showed a grandly 
fleshed grade Shorthorn steer called Canadian 
Champion, that received two votes out of the five 
cast in the grand championship balloting. 

The ''heavies" were also to be seen in the same 
hall that housed such wonderful "baby beeves" as 
Red Major and Clarence Kirklevington. The stock 
yards show string was again in evidence — a half- 
dozen in number, ranging this time up to 3,055 
pounds, or within 100 pounds of the record weight 
of 3,155 pounds of the Shorthorn steer sent to the 
first show by Charles Miller, Williamsville, 111., 
concerning which the reporter of that day naively 
said, "he was rather coarse and was especially 
faulty and ragged in the conformation of his 
rump." Messrs. Dodge of Ohio helped out the 



398 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

''hulk" division by sending forward a pair of twin 
Shorthorns that together marked up 5,250 pounds. 

Imported Hereford Steers. — Mr. Miller now had 
all the motive power needed behind the Here- 
ford propaganda. The new recruits were buying 
top cattle freely in Herefordshire for importation, 
and while gathering breeding stock did not forget 
the fat stock show. Senator Cochrane of Hillhurst 
brought out from England the purebred three-year- 
old steer Sir Richard (weight 1,765 pounds), and 
Earl & Stuart imported an extraordinary two-year- 
old which they named Wabash. ''Tom" Clark had 
bought him for Mr. Earl while in England selecting 
the great Shadeland importation of breeding stock 
in the fall of 1881. He found the bullock in offer 
at an auction sale held in the county of Shropshire 
(Salop).* The steer was put into quarantine at 
Portland, Me., at a weight of about 1,250 pounds, 
and in the hands of Harry Loveland made a phe- 
nomenal gain, going into the show in the fall at a 
weight of 1,950 pounds. Mr. Clark says that he was 
one of the most wonderful "doers" he has ever 
known. His broad ribs and great depth of flesh in 
the most valuable parts won for his breed the two- 
year-old championship of the show. 

Sir Eichard was sent into the block test and 



*John H. Yeomans was with Mr. Clark upon this occasion, and 
together they went over the steers to be sold. Mr. Yeomans ad- 
vised the purchase of a big- one, but Clark's fancy was caught 
by a younger steer, which he bought. A well known exhibitor 
at Smithfield paid 55 guineas for the big steer that Yeomans 
liked, and after the sale asked Clark, who was unknown to him, 
what he expected to do with the youngster he had bought. 
"Take him to America," was Clark's reply. "Well," rejoined the 
other, "I'm glad of it. He'll make some one trouble." 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 399 

won the carcass championship. Other new exhib- 
itors in the Hereford class were A. A. Crane & Son 
and Fowler & VanNatta. Mr. Miller exhibited a lot 
of grass-fed grades. 

Opportunity was given for the display of breed- 
ing cattle at this show, and the Hereford people 
made the most of it. Miller brought in his famous 
show bull Success, then near ten years old; Earl & 
Stuart presented their newly imported Royal win- 
ners, Sir Bartle Frere and Garfield, and George 
Leigh exhibited the imported bull Royal 14th. 

The pot was boiling furiously by this time all 
along the line, in both the rival camps. Practical 
men were seeking assiduously the rehabilitation of 
the Shorthorn along up-to-date lines, and Hereford 
enthusiasm, under the stimulus of an extensive de- 
mand for bulls from the range and for registered 
cattle for breeding herds in the middle west, was 
rising rapidly. It only needed the result of the next 
succeeding fat stock show to bring to a successful 
close the long-drawn-out struggle of the Herefords 
for full and unreserved recognition as a type that 
had come to America to stay. 

First Angus Show Steer. — The year 1883 found 
still another Richmond in the field and con- 
tending at the fat stock shows for the favor of 
American cattle-growers. The Aberdeen-Angus 
polls were beginning to gain a footing and the 
Messrs. Geary of Canada, who were early importers 
of the ''doddies," not to be outdone by the enter- 
prising backers of the Herefords, shipped out from 



400 A HISTORY OK HEREFORD CATTLE 

Scotland the l)ig level bulloek, Black l*riiice, for ex- 
liihitiou purposes. The Kansas City (Mo.) Stock 
Yard Company held during the first week of Novem- 
ber, 1883, the first of a series of fat stock shows at 
Riverview Park, and it is characteristic of the enter- 
])rise displayed by the advocates of the rival breeds 
at that period that the Gearys went to the expense 
of forwarding this 2,300-pound steer from the Que- 
bec quarantine station to Kansas City by express, 
in order that the new breed might not be unrepre- 
sented at that show. He arrived in time for the 
fray, and created a genuine sensation. A three- 
cornered fight, instead of the duel between the Here- 
fords and Shorthorns, was thus precipitated, and 
the black-skins made a hit with killers from the start. 
"Doddies" and "Kilts." — It is difficult for 
those who have through long familiarity become 
accustomed to such exhibitions to realize the in- 
tensity of the interest manifested by western farm- 
ers, feeders and ranchmen in these first pitched bat- 
tles between the breeds. It is true that the Here- 
fords had by this time ceased to be a novelty, but 
the parade of imported black polled breeding cattle, 
with Black Prince at their head, that was sent 
through the streets adjacent to the Kansas City 
yards on the morning of Friday, Nov. 30, 1883, was 
a spectacle full of thrills to the oldest cattleman 
present. The long line of silky-black hornless 
"beasties" that set out from Grant's old sale sta- 
ble, accompanied by a pair of ''pipers" in their 
*' kilts," had to the most seasoned frequenter of the 



402 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

yards all the attractiveness of the old-time circus 
to the small boy of the country village.* 

This Kansas City show brought out many of the 
entries that had been made up primarily for Chi- 
cago, and served as an admirable curtain-raiser for 
the big event staged for the succeeding week on the 
Lake Front. Potts' Shorthorn, Starlight, won the 
championship, although not without angry protest 
from both Hereford and Aberdeen-Angus sources. 

"Stars" of a Memorable Week. — The caravan 
that moved up from Kansas City to Chicago in 1883 
was a notable one, in fact, a rare good show in 
itself. When the entries of Gillett, Culbertson, 
Cochrane, Imboden, Leigh, Burleigh, John Hope 
and others were added, it was plain that the most 
extraordinary aggregation of show steers ever as- 
sembled up to that time in the United States await- 
ed judgment. 

Here was the Kansas City champion. Starlight; 
Earl's imported Wabash and Hoosier; Geary's 
Prince; Fowler & VanNatta's Benton's Champion 
in his two-year-old form; ''Tom" Clark's curly- 
coated Tuck; poor old McMullin, twice champion, 
now to be unnoticed; Culbertson 's Roan Boy, as yet 
unknown to fame ; Clarence Kirklevington ; Morrow 
& Renick's Schooler; Gillett 's Storm; Cochrane 's 
Longner Monarch; Ross & Sons' Grand Chunk; 
Imboden 's Scratch; Waddell's famous spayed 

♦Galloways too were then just coming- in, and the representa- i 
tives of both the great Scottish breeds participated in the stir- 
ring events of this wek. The Leonards, A. B. Matthews, Gudgell 
& Simpson and M. R. Piatt were pioneers in the black cattle 
movement in the Kansas City territory. 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 403 

heifer, Ohio Belle; George Morgan's string from 
the Wyoming Hereford Association, and the most 
amazing lot of yearling grades ever seen together 
on the continent. In fact, the show had now arrived 
at full stature, with the classes running bank-full 
of quality. 

The Goal Attained-^Through the early stages 
of the judging little comfort came the Shorthorn 
way. Their best three-year-olds had twice gone 
down before a neatly finished, short-legged, richly 
furnished 2,125-pound steer of Mr. Culbertson 
called Roan Boy, got by the Hereford bull Freeport 
(he by Success 2d) out of a roan heifer by the 
Shorthorn bull 9th Duke of Forest Hill, and bred 
by J. H. Spears. This steer was a light roan with 
the characteristic Hereford white markings. His 
grandam was a pure white cow of Shorthorn ex- 
traction. Hereford men would have been quite as 
well pleased if the Shorthorn color, neatness of 
bone, and levelness of quarter had not been present, 
because, in one way, they proved too much. While 
Roan Boy was recognized from the beginning of 
the show as '4n the running," he had no mortgage 
on first place.* Black Prince was surely dangerous. 
Starlight, with his good top and light underline, 

*It is all but impossible to realize the depth of the feeling 
engendered by these first big- "finish" fights between these breeds. 
The Shorthorn power had gone unchallenged for so many years 
that their breeders refused to take the situation seriously. Miller 
and William H. Sotham were called "cranks"; their cattle had no 
"breeding" ; were, in fact, "plain, ugly-horned and peaked- 
runriped." No cattle breeder having a pride in the ownership of 
"cattle with a history" or who appreciated beauty and finish in 
fine cattle could afford to handle these ugly and plebeian in- 
truders. In brief, the Shorthorn breeders ridiculed the Here- 
fords and predicted for them a short-lived American popularity. 



404 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

lookiM] good to huicliers wlio counted wastes. Mr. 
Cxillett's McMiillin was of course impossible. It was 
almost a crime to bring him back, but he had a 
pasture-brother called Storm that was possibly the 
best steer, from the viewpoint of the '^ progres- 
sives" of that day, that Mr. Gillett had ever pro- 
duced, standing much nearer the ground than was 
customary with the Gillett cattle. Then there was 
Mr. Earl's imported Wabash, back again at a 
weight of 2,350 pounds. 

It is doubtful if there has ever been a ring of 
cattle judged in .Vmerica where the issue was await- 
ed with greater interest than this championship of 
the Chicago show of 1883. The short leet (those 
drawn for final adjudication) contained not one sin- 
gle specimen of the old-time type. Their day was 
almost done. Weight was still in evidence, but it 
was carried in smaller compass and on shorter legs. 

Two votes were finally cast for Eoan Boy, and 
that of the other committeeman for Waliash.* The 



*The author, as a young man. had the task of reporting- this 
show, and turning back to our old notes we find the following: 

"In Roan Boy's vacant stall, cool and collected, Mr. Culbertson 
sat awaiting- the result. No outward sign betrayed the intense 
interest which he, above all others, must have felt in the de- 
cision. The Hereford yell reached his ears, but scarcely sooner 
than the swift-footed Clark, who was the first to convey the 
news of victory and grasp the hand of the man to whom Here- 
fords owe more than to any other in America. An impromptu 
levee was in an instant begun; and without the least show of 
exultation, the fortunate owner of the prize animal, Grant-like, 
lit a cigar and received the congratulations of his friends, dis- 
patching 'Charlie' to cable the news to ]\Ir. Price, at Bingley 
Hall, Birmingham, Eng. 'It was a famous victory'; but the 
champion's roan coat reflected a share of the glory back upon 
his mother's Shorthorn ancestry." 

Roan Boy was sold to H. M. Kinsley, proprietor of the leading 
restaurant of that date in Chicago, who pronounced the beef the 
Hnest he had ever seen. His horns were saved, mounted and pre- 
sented by Mr. Culbertson to "The Breeder's Gazette," and have 
ever since decorated a space in the walls of the office of that 
publication. 




DOT ABERDEEN-ANGUS CHAMPION, BRED BY WALLACE ESTILL, FED 
OUT BY JOHN G. IMBODEN— From drawing by Lou Burk. 




IlLAeK riaNLi;— UCAIIV lUiOS/ I.MI'uUXKD AUEUDEEN A.XGU.S- -liuu 
drawing by Lou Burk. 



406 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

long- sought honor had not only been achieved, but 
backed up as well by a "reserve" vote. The echoes 
of the Hereford cheers by which this victory was 
greeted lingered long in the memory of visitors. 
The "white face" had at last definitely "arrived." 
His worth was now definitely acknowledged by the 
High Court of Last Appeal, and he took his place 
from that day forward as a fixed factor in American 
beef-making. 

Clarence Kirklevington's Year. — One of the last 
great products of the Bates Shorthorn blood in 
North America was the white steer Clarence Kirk- 
levington, above referred to. He was bred in the 
purple and had been handled at Bow Park with con- 
summate skill. Although forced, from calfhood, by 
all the methods known to English showyard gen- 
erals, this wonderful specimen of his breed came 
back to the show of 1884 to register the greatest tri- 
umph standing to the credit of any steer ever ex- 
hibited at an American fat stock show. At a weight 
of 2,400 pounds he was still smooth as a mole, al- 
though somewhat soft in his handling. His great 
arched back, tremendous quarters, depth, breadth, 
and above all, his commanding presence, finely-set 
head and neck, beautiful horns and general show of 
"blood" and "finish" gave to him a distinction at- 
taching to none of his competitors. 

In this steer the old Bates ideal found full frui- 
tion — individual merit of a high order joined to the 
aristocratic bearing and "character" which consti- 
tuted the main asset of the type he represented 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 407 

during its declining years. But lie had no walk-over 
at this show. There was Benton's Champion, Mr. 
VanNatta's great long-quartered rich-ribbed cross- 
bred Hereford-Shorthorn that gained ''The Breed- 
er's Gazette" Challenge Trophy for best beast in 
the show bred and fed by the exhibitor.* There 
was the burly Black Prince again, Gillett's Storm, 
and Gudgell & Simpson's grand Hereford Suspense 
by Anxiety 4th, which gave the first great promise 
of what that bull was destined to do for the quarters 
and thighs of western "white faces." There were 
the Aberdeen- Angus "blocks" entered by James J. 
Hill of Great Northern Railway fame and T. W. 
Harvey, the Chicago lumberman, whose Turlington, 
Neb., herd afterwards attained such celebrity under 
"Willie" Watson. There was Mr. Earl's Hoosier, 
by Lord Wilton, and a crack Shorthorn from Ohio 
named Charlie Ross. But all had to make way for 
Clarence Kirklevington. He was not only champion 
alive, but champion dead, beating all opponents on 
the block as well as on the hoof — an accumulation of 
honors that still stands as a record for all comers to 
shoot at. 

This was the last grand appearance, however, by 
the strain of blood which Clarence Kirklevington 
so impressively represented. We have already seen 
that the old Gillett type passed into history in a 

*This was a diamond-studded shield of gold made from an 
origrinal design by Tiffany's — a duplicate of which was offered 
at the Kansas City show. The object was to encourage those who 
produced their own show cattle, as against those who, by reason 
of their command of money, could go out and buy their show 
material. 



408 A HISTORY 01'" HEREFORD CATTLE 

blaze of glory with the ribbons flying from McMul- 
lin's horns. Fire often flashes into one last brilliant 1 
flare before it turns to ashes. So with Chirence \ 
Kirklevington. The race of his kind was almost ; 
run, but his victories glorified their declining days. 

Regulus and Grace. — In 1885 Fowler & Van- 
Natta again turned the tide, obtaining the coveted 
premier position with the brockle-faced bullock 
Regulus. Notable features were the return of the 
great Anxiety steer Suspense, the appearance of 
the captivating yearling grades by Earl's Sir Bartle 
Frere, Swan Bros.' sensational Hereford cow 
Grace, Elbert & Fall's sappy Shortliorn yearling 
Cleveland, Morrow & Renick's famous sliort-tailed 
broad-loined Shorthorn-grade Schooler, J. J. Hill's 
black Benholm, and Gudgell & Simpson's Angus 
Sandy. 

Rudolph Jr., Nigger, Sandy and Plush. — The 
year 1886 brought the first two-year-old champion, 
in fact, developed three two-year-olds whose su- 
periors as a trio have not since been seen ; and 
most significant fact of all, neither carried Short- 
horn blood. This was a sweeping away of 1878 
standards with a vengeance, both in respect to age, 
type and blood ! 

George Morgan, manager for the Wyoming Here- 
ford Cattle Co., exhibited two of these — one the 
])ure]>r(Hl. Rudolph Jr., liy the $3,500 imported 
show bull, ''the mighty Rudolph," by The Grove 
3d; the other a white-faced black -poll named Nig- 
ger. The third was Gudgell & Simpson's Sandy, a 



FIRST FAT «TOCK SHOWS 409 

]jurebred Aberdeen- Angus.* There has never been 
a harder fought match in our national cattle shows 
than that waged between these phenomenal young- 
sters for the two-year-old championship of this 
event, which was eventually won by Nigger. 

An account of this historic contest, written by the 
author for "The Breeder's Gazette," of Nov. 18, 
1886, ran as follows: 

"The two-year-old contestants constituted the 
most remarkable ring of the entire week, and it is 
probably not going too far to claim tliat no such 
trio of bullocks of this age as Sandy, the Aberdeen- 
Angus, Nigger, the champion of the grades and 
crosses, and Rudolph Jr., representing the purebred 
Herefords, have ever been seen in one ring since 
this show began. Morrow & Renick's Tempest stood 
for the honor of the purel)red Shorthorns, and Mr. 
Younger 's Choice upheld the Devon colors, but in 
such extraordinary company they were unequal to 
the emergency. 

"We can scarcely imagine a more thankless task 
than that of deciding as to where the greater merit 
lay as between Sandy, Rudolph, and Nigger. It was 
one of those places where the closest judge might 
well feel disposed to 'kick himself after having 
given it to either, and we have not the slightest 
doubt that in finally declaring the super!) Wyoming 
poll the victor the committee felt inwardly that in 
all probability they had not only wronged the Kan- 
sas City champion, but sinned against the grand 
legacy of Rudolph's loins. Nigger's greatest 
strength lay where his rivals were probably the 
most vulnerable. His quarter and thigh were al- 

*Gudgell & Simpson originaHy handled Aberdeen poUs as well 
as Herefords, one of their greatest black bulls being imp. Knight 
of St. Patrick, that sired many of the most valuable Angus cat- 
tle of his day. - 



410 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

most a model of perfection. Rudolph Jr. 's, although 
probably as heavy, drooped a trifle and were scarce- 
ly as thickly filled, while there was a suspicion of a 
'pinch' from Sandy's hooks to tail. Forward the 
Hereford was probably the better of the three, i. e., 
so far as covering of the shoulder was concerned. 
Nigger's shoulder-point and blade being about the 
only points of his entire carcass that were not al- 
most wholly buried in flesh. 

''Sandy had two good ends and a middle, his 
great strength lying in his general symmetry from 
head to hocks. Not as great behind as Nigger, and 
possibly not the equal of Rudolph at the shoulder, 
he was so good in both respects and carried a rib 
thrown out and down with such a noble arch as to 
cast a doubt as to the accuracy of any award that 
placed him behind his competitors. Nigger's rib 
sprang well at the start, but flattened somewhat on 
the side, and this it was (in connection with his 
grandly-filled flanks) that made him almost a walk- 
ing parallelogram. But it is idle to attempt by any 
amount of this sort of reasoning to arrive at any 
conclusion that should declare either steer of this 
now famous trio much the best beast of the lot, and 
if we have said enough to convey to those who failed 
to see the bullocks the idea that the merit of the de- 
feated animals was so great as to warrant their 
sharing almost equally with the winner the glory of 
this championship, we have accomplished our pur- 
pose. 

''Nigger was the officially-declared two-year-old 
champion of the show and as good a one as ever 
claimed that honor, but in the minds of very many 
unprejudiced judges, who enjoyed an examination 
of his two great competitors, Rudolph Jr. and 
Sandy, will be regarded as having thoroughly di- 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 411 

vided the honor with the extraordinary white-faced 
'blackskin' from the western range. As Rudolph's 
colors went down before the get of an Angus poll, 
it is not strange that Harry Yeomans, who helped 
the Nigger calf into the world about the ides 
of May, 1884, should feel out of patience with him- 
self for not having strangled on the spot the pale- 
faced doddy that lived to plague all Herefordom by 
trouncing a purebred son of the mighty Rudolph at 
the Smithfield of 1886. But the Hereford bided his 
time." 

By this time competition for the championship of 
the show had been limited to the breed champions, 
and when the ballots in that closing competition 
were cast it was found that Rudolph Jr. had turned 
the tables on Nigger and by a vote of two to one had 
defeated J. J. Hill's big Angus bullock Wildy, the 
latter receiving Mr. Imboden's vote for the cham- 
pionship. 

This show was also memorable for the presenta- 
tion by Messrs. Swan & Bosler of Indianola, la., of 
a two-year-old grade Hereford well named Plush, 
fitted with rare skill by Mr. John Gosling especially 
for the block test. He was not so formidable on the 
hoof, but *'died" better than had any other steer 
yet offered on the block at these shows. In fineness 
of texture, and in delicate intermingling of lean and 
fatty tissue promising epicurean delights at table, 
Plush's ribs and loins were a revelation. He justly 
received first prize in his class and the champion- 
ship in the carcass competition. 

The Pendulum Swings Back. — Progress toward 
■'fine beef in small packages" received a slight 



412 A IIISTOKY OF HEKEFOKD CATTLE 

setback in 1887, when Mr. Moninger's red two- 
year-old Shorthorn Dr. Glick, shown at a weight of 
1,855 pounds, was made champion. True, he was 
not an aged steer, but he w^as scarcely of the blocky 
sort toward which late decisions had l)een tending. 
There was not as "toppy" a lot on exhibition this 
year as in 1886, however. Perhaps that accounts 
for an apparent reaction. 

The Galloways were out in good form both at 
Kansas City and Chicago, and one of them won the 
carcass championship at the latter show. Sussex 
cattle, owned by Mr. Overton Lea of Tennessee, 
were seen also and attracted attention as a profit- 
able butcher's type. 

First Angus Champion. — Wallace Estill, one 
of Missouri's most successful cattle-feeders, had 
shown in 1887 the j^earling purel)red Angus Dot, 
that won prizes and was regarded as about the tidi- 
est bit of baby beef the west had 3^et seen. John 
Imboden bought him at the Chicago show and took 
him down to his Decatur feedlots to see what could 
be done during another twelve months' feeding pe- 
riod. He came back un1)eatable, gaining the 1888 
championship with little grumbling from any quar- 
ter, weighing 1,515 pounds at 863 days old, a living 
exemplification of what was meant by the expression 
so often heard, ''the greatest weight in the smallest 
superficies." He had been steered by Mr. Estill 
because he had white markings, not recognized as 
admissible in Angus breeding cattle. Dot's chief 
competitor was John Hope 's champion of the Short- 




ELBERT & FALLS' SHORTHORN STEER t'LEVELAND-From drawing In 

Lou Bui-k. 




WVOMING HEREFORD CATTLE CO.'S RUPOLPH, .TR.-From dnnvins hv 



r^u BnrU. 



414 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

horn class, Brant Chief. Mr. H. H. Clough's Here- 
ford Daniel won "The Breeder's Gazette" Chal- 
lenge Shield, and Overton Lea's Sussex Rosewood — 
conditioned by one of America's cleverest feeders, 
John Letham — took the carcass championship, and 
a wonderfully fine body of beef it was.* 

A Melting Pot. — Having now sketched the 
revolutionary character of this great educational 
institution to the date when it settled down into a 
good-natured contest between the types that still 
hold the center of the stage, we must turn at this 
point — our special business being with the Here- 
fords — to details of important importations and to 
the breeding, showyard and salering operations of 
those who first distributed Hereford cattle widely 
throughout the United States. Before taking up 
this, however, we wish to emphasize the fact that a 
realizing sense of a very important truth had 
dawned upon the cattle-growers of the central west 
as a result of this remarkable series of shows. 

Shorthorn breeders were no longer supercilious 
in their consideration of the claims of the Hereford. 
Where they had once scoffed they now conceded. On 
their part the Hereford men saw in Roan Boy, Ben- 
ton 's Champion and other prize-winners of mixed 
derivation ample proof of great results to be at- 




scenes in "these degenerate days 



FIRST FAT STOCK SHOWS 415 

tained by farmers and ranchmen by a mingling of 
the bloods. This was of course the beginning of 
the end of that intolerance that had characterized 
the earlier introduction of the Herefords. Mr. Gil- 
lett and his colleagues had demonstrated at the 
earliest shows that the Shorthorn had not altogether 
gone to perdition for practical farm purposes, and 
that the Herefords were not the one and only cattle 
worth handling. In short, reason regained her place 
in the calculations of unprejudiced men, who admit- 
ted candidly that the Fat Stock Show had pointed 
the way to a due appreciation of all good bloods. 
Not only that, but the advocates of each knew that 
they had now to work together towards the estab- 
lishment of a similar and an earlier-maturing type. 

Some day the whole story of the Fat Stock Show 
should be told. It was the clearing house for all 
who participated in the work of shifting the basis 
of American beef cattle breeding from an old to a 
new dispensation. Old methods were on trial for 
their very existence. New breeds, new ideas, new 
faces and big capital kept the fires burning brightly 
from one year's end to another. It was a crucible 
into which all available material, new and old, was 
thrown and tested. Nobody knew just what the 
next Fat Stock Show would bring out or demon- 
strate. This kept the interest in these successive 
shows at fever heat. 

By day the discussions and comparisons went on 
at the Exposition Building, and at night the war- 
riors of the week held court at the Grand Pacific — 



416 A HISTORY (^F HEREFORD CATTLE 

01yiiil)ia]i niKlits, with tJie "iiuiiiortals" all in form! 
Those walls oonlcl indeed tell many a tale, were they 
not dumb, of ** parliaments" at which clever '^ chair- 
men" ruled the roast; where Drake and Parker 
served viands and vintages of the best; where 
wit and wisdom, jibe and repartee, went round; 
where fields once fou.si'ht were fought again, and all 
the problems of the past, present and future were 
soundly settled, at least for the night. 

Indeed it is not too much to say that out of these 
annual interchanges of ideas, confidences and ex- 
periences, out of the spirit of good-fellowship and 
mutual respect that flowed from these impromptu 
gatherings, and from the touch of opposing steel 
at the show itself, there ultimately grew that spirit 
of fraternity and equality that today is such a 
marked and happy feature of contemporary cattle 
breeding. 

''AH for one, and one for all," the motto of the 
''Three Guardsmen," has finally come to be the 
slogan of those who, far removed from those early 
scenes of bitter showyard strife, now draw their 
chairs together each December at the Saddle and 
Sirloin Club, and thank the fates that they are allies 
in a common cause — no longer enemies. 



CHAPTER IX. 
HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS. 

The history of live stock husbandry affords few 
parallels to the situation rapidly developed in Here- 
ford cattle breeding in the western states about the 
year 1880. Almost like a bolt out of a blue sky the 
fact flashed upon those who had become interested 
in the breed that an almost illimitable field for 
Hereford activity existed in the far west — a field 
which in extent and possibilities could not then be 
fully comprehended. If, as was generally believed, 
a type had now been found that possessed quali- 
fications for open range service absolutely unap- 
proached by any other breed, it meant a new and 
important industry in the middle west — the produc- 
tion of bulls for a breeding and grazing ground ex- 
tending all the way from Mexico to the British pos- 
sessions. 

The call was urgent. It came from the mountain 
valleys and the plains of all western North America. 
It was a call for vigorous impressive bulls that 
could stand grief and be depended upon to leave 
behind a progeny well adapted to the business of 
converting the wild grasses of the range into mar- 
ketable beef under the rigorous conditions imposed 
by the soil and climate of those regions. The Short- 

417 



418 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

horns of that period were doing the best they 
could to fill these exacting requirements, but were; 
not in many cases able to cope satisfactorily with \ 
the iron environment of the open range. The blood | 
was there, however, and constituted a foundation \ 
upon which the sturdier "white faces" could be 
crossed with reasonable certainty of securing in the { 
offspring size, shape, rustling power, a uniform j 
color and unsurpassed grazing quality. The Here- 
ford's day in America had fully dawned at last. 

In preparing to meet the demand that was now 
full upon them American breeders and importers 
made drafts upon the Herefordshire herds — greater 
drafts perhaps than were ever drawn before or 
since within so short a space of time against any of 
the improved types evolved in the Old World. In- 
deed at one time it looked almost like a virtual 
transfer of a breed from its ancestral pastures, so 
heavy was the drain. Not only were the importa- 
tions frequent and the numbers large, but wealthy 
American buyers dipped deep into the very cream 
of the old country's richest breeding herds almost 
regardless of price. Tempted by the ''almighty 
dollar" the English tenant farmers let go freely of 
their best. The reward of a century's good work 
was reaped by them in measure fairly unprece- 
dented. 

During the years immediately following 1880 
some 5,000 head of registered English-bred Here- 
fords were transferred to American pastures. It is 
manifestly impossible to enter into full details con- 



HEAVY BUYINO IN ENGLAND BEGINS 419 

ceriiing such extensive operations. For the most 
part the importations consisted of good useful well 
bred young cattle suited to the needs of those who 
desired to handle Herefords in a practical commer- 
cial way; they do not require individual mention 
in this connection. They came, fulfilled their mis- 
sion on farm or ranch, and their blood is today scat- 
tered far and wide wherever white-faced cattle are 
appreciated. Certain shipments, liowever, had such 
historic importance and such far-reaching effect 
upon the business as to require particular mention. 
C. M. Culbertson. — In all probability the most 
powerful recruit attracted to the Hereford ranks in 
the central west during this extraordinary era was 
the late Charles M. Culbertson, a retired Chicago 
packer, and owner of a 2,300-acre tract of valuable 
land near Newman, Douglas Co., 111. Mr. Culbert- 
son was a man of sterling character, a business man 
of the best type, well known in Chicago's high 
financial circles, and universally respected. Pos- 
sessed of a strong individuality and pleasing per- 
sonality, his reputation for integrity and practical 
business ability gained for him the confidence of all 
with whom he came in contact. He not only became 
intensely interested in Hereford cattle breeding, but 
he was able to exert an influence among a large 
circle of friends and acquaintances having similar 
tastes that proved a potent factor in the great ex- 
pansion which took place in the Hereford cattle 
trade in the middle west during the early "eigh- 
ties." 



420 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Hereford Park. — When in business as a young 
man in the Wabash Valley Mr. Culbertson had fre- 
quent occasion to ride horseback through central; 
Indiana and Illinois, and in Douglas county he 
noted a body of land that at once commended itself 
to his judgment. Early as the day then was, he 
foresaw the future that awaited these "broad 
lands" now teeming with their wealth of com, cat- 
tle and grass, and he "entered" what was then the 
nucleus of the estate afterwards famous as Hereford 
Park. Among his earliest acts and one which yield- 
ed a thousand-fold return, timber being rather 
scarce on the place, was the planting of a 15-acre 
grove of walnuts. The main farmhouse and bams, 
as well as this grove, were centrally located, the 
land rising gradually to the north. In selecting this 
spot for barns, sheds and feedlots advantage was 
taken of the southern exposure, as well as of a nat- 
ural amphitheater sloping in all directions south- 
ward to a central point, where an ample pool such 
as stockmen usually used in those days afforded an 
abundant water supply. The various pastures were 
so arranged that they cornered at or near the feed- 
lots and the walnut grove, the former affording 
shelter from storms in winter and the latter a grate- 
ful shade in the hot summer months. The barns 
were models of convenience, evincing the practical 
bent of the proprietor's mind. 

Mr. Culbertson had for some years been an ex- 
tensive feeder of cattle for market and had accumu- 
lated a good herd of grade Shorthorn cows, some ; 



I 




CHAS. M. CULBBRTSON. 



422 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of the John D. Gillett blood. His first purchase of 
Herefords was made from Mr. Miller in 1877. The 
first lot comprised about fifteen head, including 
heifers by Success and Sir Charles. His first bulls 
were Success 2d, bred by William Powell, Eidge- 
ville Boy 1476, bred by Tom Clark from Sir Arthur, 
and Seventy-Six, by Sir Richard 2d. He also bought 
cows from the herds of Messrs. Blake, Atkinson and 
Burleigh of Maine, including daughters of Sir Rich- 
ard 2d. References to his ownership of Sir Richard 
2d and to his first Fat Stock Show winnings have 
already been made in preceding chapters. Finally 
convinced of the value of the blood for steer breed- 
ing and feeding purposes, Mr, Culbertson embarked 
upon a series of importations from Herefordshire 
and of purchases of ' ' tops ' ' from the best American 
sources which soon made the herd at Hereford Park 
the premier establishment of its kind in the state of 
Illinois. 

Anxiety Imported. — One of his first important 
moves was to send George Morgan to England to 
select a first-class bull and a few heifers for im- 
portation. This was in 1879. Morgan gladly made 
the journey back to his native haunts, and had the 
judgment or the rare luck to select the bull which 
had been named Anxiety by his breeder, T. J. Car- 
wardine, as narrated in a preceding chapter. Some 
lieifers, a few of them show animals, were also 
bought. These included Spangle 3d from Mrs. Ed- 
wards of Wintercott; Nancy 2d, bred by T. Myddle- 
ton; Apple Blossom, from Stocktonbury and got by 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 423 

Rodney; Nancy, also bred by Carwardine and got 
by Longhorns; and Fancy, of Aaron Rogers' breed- 
ing. The yearling bull Sir Garnett 2489, bred by 
Ben Rogers and sired by The Grove 3d, was also 
bought.* 

Morgan could not possibly have foreseen at that 
time Anxiety's real value. No more could Carwar- 
dine. He had been unbeaten as a calf at the shows 
of 1877, including the Royal, the Bath and West, 
the Herefordshire, Ludlow, Leominster, and New- 
port exhibitions. As a yearling he was first at the 
Worcestershire, and second at the other important 
events. As a two-year-old in 1879 he swept the 
boards at the Royal and was second at the Bath and 
West. He was recognized as one of the crack young 
bulls of the day, but there was nothing on which 
to base any opinion so far as his probable value as 
a stock-getter was concerned. So Morgan bought 
him at the very good price of 200 guineas, and in 
all probability Carwardine thought him quite well 
sold at that figure. The bull had some slight de- 
formity in his front feet and ankles, and besides was 
faulted somewhat by the ' ' talent ' ' about the British 
showyards as being rather too "effeminate" to ever 
make a good breeding bull. But alas for the falli- 
bility of human judgments ! 

Anxieties 3d and 4th. — The cow Tiny, by Long- 

*Mr. John Gosling chanced to be in England at the time on 
a visit home, and quite by accident he met Morgan and Joe Scott 
in the streets of Liverpool the day the cattle were being loaded 
for America. Morgan said, "John, come with me and I'll show 
you the best bull you ever saw." This was, of course, Anxiety, 
and Gosling wa.s so interested that he assisted in the debarkation 
to the extent of leading the famous bull on board the ship about 
to sail for America. 



424 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

horns— also the mother of Sir Bartle Frere, by 
Lord Wilton — was even then nursing one of the 
first of Anxiety's get at Stocktonbury, a calf that 
was slated for a great career in the United States. 
Still another of Mr. Carwardine's cows, Gay Lass, 
also by Longhorns, was at the time carrying to 
Anxiety's cover the bull of all bulls so far as Ameri- 
can Hereford history is concerned. The first was 
Anxiety 3d 4466 (Clark's), whose daughters at one 
time ruled our western shows; the other was Anxi- 
ety 4th 9904 (Gudgell & Simpson's), one of the best 
stock bulls ever produced by any breed in any coun- 
try at any time since cattle annals have been kept. 
Prettyface. — Yet another Longhorns cow, named 
Prettymaid, dropped in August, 1879, a heifer by 
Anxiety that as a two-year-old was to prove the 
wonder of all England at the shows of 1881 and was 
to repeat her victories in America in 1882. We 
speak of Prettyface 5735, first at the Royal, first at 
the Bath and West, first at the Shropshire and West 
Midland, first at Hereford, first and champion over 
all ages at Worcester and champion female of any 
age or breed, defeating Lady Carew 3d, the best 
Shorthorn cow of the year in England. She was 
imported by Mr. Culbertson in 1881, and unlike 
many breeding animals with distinguished show- 
yard careers to their credit, she made a wonderful 
record as a breeder, giving birth to no less than 
eleven calves in ten years, none of them twins. She 
was in calf to Mr. Carwardine's Lord Wilton when 
imported, and gave birth to the bull usually re- 




Copyright photo by Parsons 
COW AND CALF AT PASTURE IN HEREFORDSHIRE. 



IE 




Drawn from a photo by Rvistin 
JOHN HILL'S RARITY AT TWENTY YEARS— Note the unmistakable evidences 
of constitution and flesh held at an extreme age. 



426 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

f erred to as ''imported" Lord Wilton 5739, which 
was used successfully upon the Culbertson cows. 
Another son, Autocrat 10927, sired the beautiful 
show cow Lily, at one time in the hands of Mr. 
Elmendorf of Nebraska, probably the best Hereford 
cow of her day in the west. 

Blood Concentration. — It is interesting to specu- 
late as to what Anxiety would have been worth to 
Mr. Cai*wardine had he been retained — doubtless 
cheap at 2,000 guineas, instead of the 200 paid on 
Mr. Culbertson 's account. It will be borne in mind 
that he was got by Longhorns and that his two 
greatest sons and his great daughter Prettyface 
were all out of cows by the same sire, so that a most 
interesting example of inbreeding is presented. 
This is heightened by the results achieved in Amer- 
ica by Gudgell & Simpson from their remarkable 
course of close Anxiety breeding presently to be 
noted. If the animals above mentioned afford any 
fair basis for prophecy, it would seem as if a con- 
tinued doubling of the Longhorns blood at Stock- 
tonbury through Anxiety would have been price- 
less, not only to England but to America as well. 
As luck would have it, however, the bull was 
doomed to cross the Atlantic, to leave but one small 
crop of remarkable calves, and to rtn a brief but 
meteoric career at the leading American shows — a 
martyr to the cause of advertising the breed at pub- 
lic exhibitions. 

Anxiety's Untimely Death.— Mr. Culbertson had 
in James Powell a rare good herdsman in whose 



1 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 427 

capable hands Anxiety after his arrival at Hereford 
Park was carried along famously for the autumn 
shows. He was the sensation of that period. Like 
Imperial Caesar of old, he came, he was seen, and 
he conquered. All hats were off to the smoothest 
thick-fleshed bull of any breed this country had up 
to that date seen. On the show circuits of 1879 and 
1880 he met no defeats. His winnings in 1879 were: 
first at Lafayette, first in class and champion at the 
Illinois State Fair, and first at St. Louis. In 1880: 
first and champion Hereford bull at the Illinois 
State Fair and at head of first prize herd, first at 
Minneapolis, first at the Wisconsin State Fair, first 
and head of the first prize Hereford herd at St. 
Louis. Col. William S. King, the famous old-time 
Shorthorn showman, was a great admirer of the 
bull, and good-humoredly twitted the Hereford con- 
tingent by assuring them that Anxiety could not be 
a purely bred Hereford, saying: "Those brown 
spots around his eyes and those great level quarters 
certainly show a Shorthorn cross." This of course 
was not taken seriously, but it illustrates the point 
that a new and improved type of the Hereford had 
now to be reckoned with by advocates of the Short- 
horns. 

Mr. Culbertson believed that he had the best bull 
of that day in North America. He had now given 
the public a chance to see what a really high-class 
Hereford was like and so resolved to retire him at 
once from the showyard and to put him in condition 
for active service. His haste in this regard how- 



428 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

ever proved fatal. The bull had been brought back 
from the fairs very fat, and Powell was carrying 
him along on a comparatively simple diet — some 
oats, with bran and a little cake. But Mr. Culbert- 
son gave instructions that the cake and bran be 
cut out entirely and the bull confined strictly to 
sheaf oats. It was soon apparent that this was a 
mistake. In a few days he was taken sick and the 
owner, who was in Chicago at the time, was so ad- 
vised. Possibly Mr. Powell himself did not at the 
moment fully appreciate the gravity of the situa- 
tion. At any rate Mr. Culbertson did not express 
any special solicitude. The bull kept growing 
worse, notwithstanding the faithful herdsman's 
best efforts, and a telegram urging that a veterinary 
surgeon be sent down to the farm at once was for- 
warded. This brought a quick response, but too 
late. Anxiety, the pride of two continents, died 
from impaction of the manifold a few minutes after 
the veterinarian arrived, lamented by his owner 
and the entire Hereford cattle breeding fraternity 
as easily the best bull of the breed seen up to that 
date in the United States. 

Although he had just turned four years old, in 
recent years he has always been referred to in Here- 
ford circles as "okl" Anxiety, this merely to dis- 
tinguish him from the really ''old" Anxieties, his 
sons, that made such names for themselves in suc- 
ceeding years. 

Four Yearling Heifers Sold for $4,000.— Mr. Cul- 
bertson really got but one short crop of calves from 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 



429 



Anxiety; the showing interfered much with his work 
in the herd. His early death had naturally not been 
anticipated. As it was he left but twelve calves in 
the herd. Of these, probably the best were the bulls 
Anxiety 4th 2947 (not to be confused with the Eng- 
lish-bred Gudgell. & Simpson bull of same name), 
and Anxiety 5th 2948. The former was out of imp. 
Cherry 24th and was sold to Mr. Culbertson's old 
friend Mr. Frank Parmelee, the omnibus magnate, 
who had a fann on the Des Plaines Eiver near Chi- 
cago. 

In a letter written to the author in 1897 Mr. Cul- 
bertson said: 

^'Anxiety was a particularly good getter of bulls 
rather than heifers, which bulls in turn were 
progenitors of show stock of both sexes. Dying as 
he did one year after coming over I got but twelve 
calves from him (seven bulls and five heifers), so 
that he scarcely had a fair trial in this country. 
Tempted by large prices I parted with the heifers 
and several bulls when yearlings. Two other bulls 
were lost to record on going to great ranches in the 
west. Mr. Earl's Anxiety 6th never did much, but 
Parmelee 's Anxiety 4th 2947 and VanNatta's Anxi- 
ety 5th 2948 proved potent factors in the upbuilding 
of the reputations of those herds. 

''Anxiety's greatest sons, however, were Clark's 
Anxiety 3d 4466 (alias Sir Garnett) and Gudgell & 
Simpson's Anxiety 4th 9904, both imported and 
both from Longhorns dams. My imp. Prettyface 
5735, by Anxiety 2238, had likewise a Longhorns 
dam, and the bull himself being by Longhorns 
shows a happy 'nick' in that inbreeding and cross- 
ing, as was the case with The Grove 3d-Spartan 



430 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

cross. Prettyface, like her sire, liad swept the show- 
yards of England in 1881 before coming here, and I 
exhibited her but one season. She gave me eleven 
calves in ten years (no twins) that were scattered 
all over the west and in South America." 

In this connection it may be said that Mr. Cul- 
bertson probably induced more men of large means 
to engage in the breeding of Hereford s than any 
other one man ever identified with them in this 
country.* Mr. Parmelee w^as one of these. At the 
time he bought Anxiety 4th 2947 he gave Culbert- 
son $1,000 each for four of his precious Anxiety 
heifers — the famous quartette, Helena 2d 2941, 
Helena 3d 2942, Helena 4th 2943, and Helena 5th 
2936, all winners on the big circuit of 1881, and the 
second one named a daughter of the great Sir Rich- 
ard 2d cow Anguilla 1522, afterwards sold to Earl 
& Stuart and possibly the best model of a breeding 
matron ever seen in the Shadeland pastures, which 
is saying much. 

Anxieties 4th and 5th. — The Parmelee bull had 
been the first prize calf of 1881 at Chicago and at 
the Illinois State Fair, and second at Minneapolis 
and St. Louis. Another valuable son was Anxiety 
5th 2948, that divided the honors with the calf just 
mentioned on the same circuit, standing second at 
Chicago and the Illinois State Fair, and first at Min- 
neapolis and St. Louis. He was out of the imported 

*Another striking instance of this was the case of the late 
Philip D. Armour, who bought a grand bunch of Mr. Culbertson's 
best-bred cows and presented them to his son P. D. Armour, Jr., 
at whose death they went into the appreciative hands of the 
late Kirk B. Armour of Kansas City and constituted the founda- 
tion of the fine herd maintained under William Cummings' man- 
agement at Excelsior Springs. 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 431 

COW Nancy 2d 2534, and was sold to Messrs. Fowler 
& ^^anNatta, Fowler, Ind., in whose large herd he 
rendered good service, his blood being carried by 
many of the show cattle sent out in later years 
from that establishment. 

Anxiety would beyond doubt have made a mem- 
orable record as a sire had he been spared for serv- 
ice, but unfortunately again for the best interests 
of the Herefords in the middle west Mr. Culbert- 
son during the years immediately following the 
brief period of service in the herd was selling freely 
of his young stock to Joseph Scott for use on the 
southwestern range. Hence some of the rare blood 
went to wear itself out in that exacting service. 

Description of Anxiety.— We have already stated 
that as a youngster Anxiety had been faulted a bit 
in England as being ''effeminate," but good judges 
here assert that the head itself became thoroughly 
masculine, although the horns were not so heavy 
as the average. They were tapering, fairly well 
spread, pitched forward and a little downward. 
However, he was not dish-faced, which is usually 
considered a mark of weakness of constitution, 
had good width between the eyes and a wide poll. 
His neck was good until the joining of the shoul- 
ders. He had a slight depression just forward of 
the shoulder point which was attributed to the un- 
natural position in which he had to stand on account 
of his deformity. His shoulders were splendidly 
covered, his crops wide and full, his ribs broadly 
sprung and deep. 



432 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Anxiety had a most extraordinary covering of 
back, loin and ribs, and was well let down in the 
flanks. The hips were well covered, with good 
length of quarter, although a trifle narrow at the 
tailhead. He had a full twist but his thighs ap- 
peared somewhat light. The hind legs were fairly 
straight. He was distinguished above everything 
else for a wealth of mellow flesh, smoothly spread. 
He had no white "mane" — the absence of which 
some have erroneously thought indicates impure 
breeding in a Hereford — and weighed at full ma- 
turity about 2,250 pounds. 

After the lapse of thirty years Mr. Powell's* com- 
ment on Anxiety's conformation is as follows: 

"He had a splendid Hereford head — wide between 
the horns, and set on a short neck, with hardly any 
white on top. He was wide between the fore legs, 
with a good brisket, no loose leather. His weak- 
ness, if any, was in his heartgirth. He was good 
over the crops with a perfect back and loin. He 
had a well sprung rib and a perfectly-set-on tail. He 
also had good straight quarters and short legs, and 
was a remarkably smooth bull. I think the most 
he weighed was about 2,200 pounds." 

Culbertson's Importations of the Early "Eigh- 

*Powell was of course familiar with "Old Dick," Sir Richard 
2d, and gives this description of him : 

"I remember him as a remarkably smooth bull, rather light 
in color and not weighing more than 2,000 pounds when fat. I 
consider him one of the best sires of the breed. I fed out several 
of his calves, both for T. L. Miller and for C. M. Culbertson, and 
they were always easily recognized by their smooth quarters and 
splendid coats of hair. I believe he was the sire of more good 
heifers than bulls. However, in either case he was hard to beat." 

The old bull did not have the best of dispositions. While at 
Beecher he one day nearly "got" his man. One of the helpers 
had undertaken to punish him for "bawling" in his box, and 
"Dick" paid him for it. 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 433 

ties."— In 1880 Mr. Culbertson- brought out tliirty 
head, including the Royal prize-winning cows 
Downton Rose 4486, bred by Fenn of Stonebroke 
House, and Nannete 4511, from the stock of T. Myd- 
dleton. In 1881 came Prettyface (already men- 
tioned) and Juliet, both by Anxiety, Perfection 3d, 
and others. In 1882 the importation totalled 26 head, 
and included the Royal prize-winning yearling 
heifer Princess and the fine Philip Turner cow Sil- 
via 8649 by Corsair 4581, afterwards sold to Mr. 
Parmelee. 

Miller Importation of 1880.— Mr. Miller went to 
England in May, 1880, and bought 114 head, his 
largest purchase being from Mr. Samuel Goode of 
Ivingtonbury, the historic place where Mr. T. Rob- 
erts had bred, in 1861, Sir Thomas, the grandsire 
of old Dolly Varden. Six head were purchased from 
Mrs. Sarah Edwards of Wintercott, who bred the 
celebrated cow Leonora, which was exhibited at all 
the leading fairs in England and had been pro- 
nounced by many competent judges the best cow 
of any breed ever exhibited in England. Mr. Miller 
bought a half-brother and a half-sister of this cow. 
Ten head were purchased from John Price of The 
Court House, Pembridge. Twenty head were pur- 
chased from John Hill of Felhampton Court, Church 
Stretton, Shropshire. Seven head were purchased 
from Mr. Grassett, formerly of Smythies & Grasset. 
This Mr. Smythies was a son of the Rev. Mr. Smy- 
thies, one of the famous advocates of the Hereford 
cattle in England between 1840 and 1850 who 



I 



434 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

challenged the Shorthorn breeders to a test of the 
feeding qualities of the two breeds in several ways 
and at different times. One bull was bought of J. 
B. & G. H. Green of Marlow Lodge. This was 
Dauphin 18th, a young bull of great scale. Six head 
were purchased of Mr. J. H. Arkwright of Hampton 
Court, the breeder of old Sir Richard 2d (4984). 
Other purchases were made of Mr. Yeomans of 
Stretton Court, near Hereford, Mr. Thomas Nott of 
Buck ton Park, Mr. Hallo way of Letton, Mr. Thomas 
Lewis of Woodhouse, near Pembridge, and others. 

Mr. Miller returned to the L^nited States on July 
1, 1880, and finding that there was no way to avoid 
a quarantine of 90 days arranged for this on an 800- 
acre farm on the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. near Balti- 
more, Md., on which no cattle had been for ten 
years. He then went back to England and shipped 
the cattle from Bristol by the Great Western Steam- 
ship Line, on the steamer Gallian, Capt. Moen, mas- 
ter. They arrived safely, although they had to ride 
put a severe equinoctial gale. The cattle after pass- 
ing quarantine were loaded by Mr. Miller's son, T. 
E. Miller, on Jan. 8, 1881, and ran through as a 
''special" on passenger train time to Beecher, HI., 
and unloaded there on the evening of Jan. 10, 1881, 
every animal in perfect health.* 

*In March, 1885, Mr. Miller reported, by way of illustrating 
the strong- vitality of the Hereford cows, that in the fall of 1880 
before the arrival of this large importation of Herefords he 
offered the old cow Baroness 3d, then over 15 years old, for $250. 
She was not sold. On April 6, 18S,1, she dropped a heifer calf. 
Babv 4029, on May 28, 1882, she dropped Blink Bonnv 59S.6, and 
on June 5, 1883, she dropped Midget 6911. On Feb. 15, 1884, Baby 
dropped Banquo by Success. On Oct. 18, 1884, Blink Bonny 
dropped Bonny Boy by Success. In February, 1885, Baby had a 
calf by Success. Thus the fifteen-year-old cow in little more 



HEAVY BTYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 435 

English Testimonial to T. L. Miller.— In the sum- 
mer of ]88o Mr. Miller re-visited England, and pur- 
chased 108 head of Herefords which were shipped 
from Liverpool on the S. S. Mississippi, Aug. 18. 
The cattle were unloaded at Quebec, and after being 
quarantined there were shipped to Beecher. In- 
cluded in this shipment was what Mr. Miller called 
his "testimonial herd." 

During this visit of the veteran American "pro- 
moter" of Hereford interests, the English breeders 
decided to honor him with a testimonial of their 
appreciation of his persistent efforts at extending 
the market for their cattle in the United States. 
The fact was that in his attempted demonstration 
of the merits of the cattle he had paid little regard 
to the matter of personal profit to himself. Possibly 
he did not manage wisely from a financial stand- 
point; he was not apt to stop to count the cost when 
he set out to prove something to the public. At any 
rate, it was generally known that he was not in the 
best of circumstances at this time, and as Here- 
fordshire was already reaping richly where he had 
sown it was agreed that the proposed testimonial 
might best take the form of a subscription fund. 

than four years had an increase of six head, leaving Blink Bonny 
and Midget well on in calf again. Old Baroness 3d bred until slie 
was nineteen years old and never had but one bull calf. 

Mr. Miller also reported in 18S5 that in February, 1880, he 
offered the two-year lieifer Favorite 3808, bred by Samuel Goode 
of Ivingtonbury, for $600, but she was not sold. On Feb. 28, 1881. 
she dropped Frosty 4022: on Jan. 17, 1882, she dropped Favorite 
Lad 6762 by Success; on Jan. 20, 1883, she dropped Francis Edward 
6501 bv Winter DeCote, and on Dec. 13, she dropped Fanny Goode 
7400. The Hrst two, Frosty and Favorite Lad, were sold for $900; 
Francis Edward was retained and in March, 1885. was due to 
calve again in three months, while Favorite and Fanny Goode had 
in the meantime been sold for $1,400. 



436 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Accordingly a banquet was held at the Green 
Dragon Hotel in Hereford, and after the usual com- 
plimentary toasts and speeches the sum of 200 sov- 
ereigns was presented to the guest of honor. Sir 
Joseph Baily, M. P., presided, assisted by Messrs. 
Duckham and Stephen Robinson of Lynhales. 
Among those present were Lord Bateman and the 
Earl of Coventry. With this fund a few cattle were 
bought and maintained for some time afterward on 
the farm at Beecher under the name of "The Testi- 
monial Herd." 

Upon this same occasion George Morgan was pre- 
sented with a silver cup, as an expression of the ap- ?} 
preciation in which his services, also, were held in 1| 
Herefordshire.* 1 

Clark's Anxiety 3d Imported. — In common with i" 

*Morg'an was naturaUy a very prominent figure in the cattle ' 
trade during- tlie days when he was busy executing orders for the 
purchase and importation of Herefords for leading lights in the 
trade. He was big, brawny and bearded, a good liver, and fond { 
of a good dinner and all that went with it. Divers and sundry 
bottles of wine are said to have been cracked when the Anxiety 
deal was closed at Stocktonbury. He was nimble-witted too, and 
many a good story is told to illustrate his fund of humor and 
repartee — none better perhaps than his come-back at William R. 
Duncan, one of the famous old-time Illinois breeders and exhib- 
itors of Shorthorns. 

It happened at Indianapolis. Duncan had been expatiating on 
the glorious traditions and the wondrous history of the Shorthorn 
breed. He told of the Collings and of Bates, of the Booths, of the 
great animals sold at fabulous prices, and of the just pride that 
every owner of a Shorthorn must feel in the possession of some- 
thing that had such an illustrious past. The Herefords hact no 
such proud and ancient lineage, etc., etc., etc. 

When he had finished Morgan was called upon to reply to this ' 
reflection upon the "white faces" as a breed lacking the charm of : 
historic interest. Getting on his feet and hesitating for a moment, i 
he said in his usual impulsive manner: 

"I am not so sure I can quote ye the first of all references 
to the Hereford cattle, but I know this — that when Jacob found 
out that his old father-in-law Laban was giving him the worst of 
it in the matter of wages, and when the old man finally agreed 
to turn over to Jacob all the calves that came ring-streaked or 
speckled he 'nipped' right off, and bought a bunch o' 'Ereford 
bulls. 

With this biblical shot he sat down amidst laughter and ap- 
plause that fairly shook the building. 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 437 

all other western breeders Thomas Clark had been 
favorably impressed by the character of Mr. Cul- 
bertson 's Anxiety. When George Morgan went back 
to England for more cattle in 1880 Mr. Clark gave 
him an order to buy a son of Anxiety if possible. 

The importation was quarantined at Quebec and 
Clark went down to see the bull. Morgan told him 
to look through the lot and see if he could find one 
that suited him, saying that there was one bull he 
could not have. This was Hero 4874, brought out 
for William Constable; he was a show bull that be- 
came a familiar figure at western fairs. Clark had 
little difficulty in locating a yearling possessing that 
same smooth flesh that had been so admired in 
Anxiety. This proved to be Anxiety 3d 4466, but 
Morgan himself claimed a half interest in the bull. 
Mr. Clark thought that he had given orders for the 
purchase of such a bull outright for his own indi- 
vidual account. Morgan, while denying this, finally 
agreed that the bull should remain in Clark's pos- 
session and that he should not leave the farm unless 
Clark's interest were sold. Furthermore, he was to 
give Clark first option on purchase of the other half. 
In a subsequent settlement Morgan transferred his 
interest to Mr. Culbertson. Some months later Cul- 
bertson went to Clark's to ask that the bull be sent 
down to the Culbertson farm for a time. Clark re- 
monstrated that this was not the understanding 
with Morgan, and on recalling the terms Culbertson 
agreed to carry out Morgan's bargain. Culbertson 
finally offered to give Clark $10 if he would say 



438 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

whether he would buy or sell at a certain price. 
Clark replied, "I will give you $20 if you will de- 
clare yourself." Culbertson finally agreed to give 
or take $1,200 and Clark promptly agreed to pay it. 
The bull had cost £100 at Carwardine's. Thus the 
dispute was settled, and the bull remained in Mr. 
Clark's possession until his death at sixteen years 
of age. 

Anxiety 3d in Mr. Clark's hands proved to be one 
of the greatest heifer-getters ever maintained in 
service in a Hereford herd in the middle west. At 
an early date Mr. Culbertson gave George F. Baker, 
Goodenow, 111., $1,000 for one of his daughters, the 
heifer Sunshine. Probably the best of the Anxiety 
3d females were Peerless 2d, Peerless 3d and Eletta. 
Mr. Clark was an exhibitor in the western show- 
yards for more than thirty years, and throughout 
almost the entire period his show herds were made 
up of cattle of his own production. In fact, the use 
of Anxiety 3d in the herd was followed by such 
gratifying results that it was not necessary to seek 
showyard material elsewhere. Mr. Clark's record 
as a successful exhibitor of cattle of his own breed- 
ing has been surpassed by few breeders on either 
side of the Atlantic, continuity of appearance in the 
great national showyards considered. He not only 
bred his own cattle, but personally looked after 
their fitting for exhibition. 

As a three-year-old Anxiety 3d defeated such good 
bulls as Sir Garnet, Tregrehan, Hero (4874) and 
other celebrities of that day. He was not shown 



440 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

after four years of age on account of breaking down 
behind. This, while bringing his showyard career to 
a close, did not affect his usefulness as a stock bull. 
The prize offered at the Illinois State Fair for the 
best four animals, get of one sire, was won four 
years in succession by daughters of Anxiety 3d. 
His heifers were almost universally noted for their 
fine size, depth of flesh, quality, smoothness and 
good breed character. 

Description of Anxiety 3d. — Anxiety 3d weighed 
in good flesh about 2,300 pounds. His most valu- 
able and distinguishing characteristic was his flesh- 
ing, the depth and quality of which greatly resem- 
bled that of his famous sire. His head was not just 
ideal, although strong and masculine. His face was 
perhaps a trifle long. The horn was rather heavy, 
but well spread, and pitched forward and down- 
ward with a slight incurve. He stood well on the 
ground, and possessed more style than his sire. He 
had good well covered shoulders, excellent neck 
veins, full crops, richly fleshed back and loin, ribs 
well arched and well let down, smooth hips, and 
level quarters which were well filled and of good 
length. He was also excellent in the twist and 
thighs. 

Anxiety 3d was first shown as a two-year-old, 
usually standing second that year to Hero 4352. 
Hero was a very low-legged, deep-fleshed bull with 
a splendid head, and had been a winner in Eng- 
land before importation. He weighed about 2,400 
pounds, and after Anxiety 3d broke down for show 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 441 



^■purposes Mr. Clark bought Hero from liis importer, 
^^Mr. Constable, and showed him for two years suc- 
cessfully, afterwards selling him to go to Ohio for 
$1,300. Subsequently Hero was taken to Kansas. 
He was clearly one of the best bulls of his day. 

The Anxiety-Peerless Nick. — Thomas Clark had 
been showing cattle since 1870, when he exhibited 
an Ohio-bred herd at the Illinois State Fair at Free- 
ort. For thirty-three consecutive years he was "in 
'the running" at the leading western shows. The 
ost valuable purchases of cows and heifers made 
strengthen the foundations of his herd were the 
eight heifers secured out of the Earl & Stuart im- 
ortation of 1881, which he as agent had selected 
in Herefordshire. By arrangement with Earl & 
Stuart Mr. Clark obtained out of this importation 
the Lord Wilton heifer Peerless, that produced to 
he cover of Anxiety 3d such remarkable animals 
s Peerless 2d and Peerless 3d, and the noted show 
nd breeding bull Peerless Wilton. Another valu- 
able heifer out of this importation was the yearling 
;Duchess 2d, that possessed the usual scale of the 
tock from the herd of Messrs. Green in which she 
as bred; in Mr. Clark's herd she became a great 
[cow, possessing wonderful smoothness as well as 
ize. Unfortunately she did not prove altogether 
atisfactory as a producer. Another of Mr. Clark's 
elections from the importation was the heifer 
rown Beauty, by Colorado, from the herd of 
eorge Childs. She became one of the most valu- 
ble breeding cows Mr. Clark ever owned, her 



442 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

daughters and granddaughters contributing large- 
ly to his subsequent wonderful showyard success. 
However, none of these selections turned out quite 
so valuable as Peerless. She grew into one of the 
greatest cows the American showyard has ever 
known, and the first time she was brought out de- 
feated Earl & Stuart's charming Lord Wilton heifer 
Venus, that was considered the star of the entire 
importation to which she belonged. Peerless and 
her daughters won innumerable prizes and cham- 
pionships in the hottest competitions at the leading 
shows of the middle west for a series of years. 

Adams Earl and Charles B. Stuart. — Prominent 
among those most active in promoting the interests 
of Hereford cattle in America throughout the era 
of their great rise in popularity must be mentioned 
Mr. Adams Earl and his son-in-law Charles B. 
Stuart. Their fine farm of Shadeland on the Wea 
(pronounced "We-aw") Plains near Lafayette, 
Ind., became the great American Hereford show 
place of its time. 

The farm comprised about 1,400 acres largely set 
in good bluegrass sod and with perfect drainage, 
lying well above the level of the Wabash bottoms. 
It afforded an ample supply of sweet nutritious 
grass, such as good Herefords so well know how to 
utilize. While the farmhouse was unpretentious, 
expense was not spared in equipping the place w^ell 
for the breeding of purebred cattle. Numerous 
sm.all pastures admitted of effective division of the 
herd by various ages and sexes; large and commo- 




ADAMS EARL. 



444 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

dious barns were provided, and provision made for 
many roomy boxes for the breeding bulls, calving 
cows or animals in training for the shows. A 
27,000-gallon reservoir, with pipes to pastures and 
paddocks, afforded a supply of good water. The 
sum of $6,000 was expended in improving the road- 
way leading to the farm. Fences and buildings 
were immaculate with whitewash. The lots were 
graveled. In later years, when the herd under the 
management of "Uncle John" Lewis was the best- 
groomed and best-advertised collection of Here- 
fords in North America, Shadeland was indeed the 
Mecca for all lovers of good white faces. 

Mr. Earl was a wealthy merchant of Lafayette 
owning large tracts of farming land and Mr. Stuart 
a younger man of fine attainments, a successful 
lawyer of the same city. Mr. Earl was engaged in 
farming and cattle-feeding operations at Earl Park 
in association with Mr. A. D. Raub. They had a 
good lot of Shorthorns at one time, but Mr. Earl 
had noted that his friends and neighbors, Messrs. 
Seabury & Sample, were topping the Chicago mar- 
kets frequently with Hereford steers.* After feed- 
ing out a few on his own place he became satisfied 
that the "white faces" were destined to succeed. 
He had seen something of the home-bred cattle of 
that time, but knowing that they were as yet in but 
limited supply he opened a correspondence with 

*Seabury & Sample at a later date built up a good herd of 
pedigree Herefords. Mr. Seabury lived in the east, Robert Sam- 
ple, the active manager, was an extensive cattle feeder whose 
father had been a pork packer at one time interested in the busi- 
ness with C. M. Culbertson. 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 



445 



old-country breeders tliat soon led up to direct im- 
portations from Herefordshire. 

Importation of 1880. — Mr. Earl went to England 
in company with Mr. Stuart during the summer of 
1880. With the assistance of Tom Rogers, a well 
known live stock auctioneer, Mr. Stuart selected 
the first shipment of cattle constituting the founda- 
tion of the Shadeland herd. Mr. Earl owned the 
farm and througliout the cattle-breeding operations 
conducted on it had personal supervision of the 
land and crops; Mr. Stuart held an interest in the 
herd and directed the breeding and showyard oper- 
ations. 

This importation included the heifers Bonny Ar- 
row 5425, Fancy Arrow 5432, and Blossom 8th 5394 
from the herd of Rees Keene, Pencraig, Monmouth- 
shire, and Perfection 2750, Perfection 4th 5474, and 
Picnic 5428 from the stock of F. W. Morris, Sliuck- 
nell Court, Herefordshire. However it soon ap- 
peared that ''bigger game" was wanted. 

An Historic Conference. — In the autumn of 1881 
Tom Clark was on the show circuit, as usual, with 
a well conditioned lot of American-bred cattle. One 
of his first shows was made at Lafayette, which was 
indeed for many years the seat of one of the most 
important cattle fairs of the middle west. Mr. Earl 
brought in a few imported animals, but Clark re- 
ceived the ribbons. He was at that time an entire 
stranger to both Earl and Stuart but it did not take 
them long to get acquainted with him, nor did they 
waste much time in figuring out that the keen-wit- 



446 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ted young English-American probably knew a thing 
or two about Herefords that might be turned at 
that juncture to their own advantage. Clark was 
invited to dine at the big mansion with its beau- 
tiful grounds on the hill in the environs of the city. 
A big idea was in Stuart's mind, and Mr. Earl lent 
willing ear. James H. Sanders, father of the writer 
of these notes, w^as present as an invited guest. His- 
tory was in the making that day. 

After the Lord Wiltons. — Lord Wilton and his 
get were the reigning sensation of the hour in Eng- 
land. Culbertson had got possession of Anxiety 
and his wonderful daughter, Prettyface. The 
"plainish" old-style American-bred sorts, descend- 
ed from the Stone, Corning-Sotham, Merryman, 
Aldrich and other pioneer stock, no longer satisfied. 

The brains of big men, backed by big bank bal- 
ances, were becoming fired with ambition to own 
the best that the old-world pastures and showyards 
could supply. Shadeland was an ideal place to plant 
the Hereford standard upon a height that would 
stamp it "headquarters." The time was ripe for a 
*' ten-strike." Such was the dream by which 
Charles B. Stuart was obsessed that night, and 
what is more to the point, in due course of time the 
dream came true. 

Over the coffee and cigars the proposition was 
developed. Would Clark undertake the journey 
to England that was to make it a reality? Would 
he, for a consideration, agree to go abroad at once 
and see if American gold would tempt Tom Car- 




CHAKLES v.. STTART. 



448 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

wardine to let go the best of the Lord Wilton bulls 
and heifers! This was to be the prime objective, 
but he was not to stop at that. Incidentally, any- 
other cream he might be permitted to skim was to 
be taken. Now Clark has never been accused of 
being shy of mother-wit. He could but be delighted 
to learn that the Hereford cause in America had 
gained such aggressive converts. He could not be 
insensible to the compliment implied in being asked 
to serve as the agent in such an important matter, 
involving as it did the responsibility of the handling 
of much money belonging to someone else; but he 
had irons of his own in the fire, he was just getting 
on his own feet financially, his relations with Cul- 
bertson and others who were now rapidly supersed- 
ing Mr. Miller in the leadership of the "party" 
were of the best, and he could not afford to make any 
mistakes. So he listened to the scheme unfolded 
that September evening in the long ago. He would 
take it under consideration. He would give an an- 
swer later. He must have full liberty as to selec- 
tions and values. He would want to be permitted 
to select after his return, by some method mutually 
satisfactory to both parties, a half dozen heifers for 
himself from the lot to be imported. There was 
much talk, but with no conclusion reached. 

Clark Goes to England As Agent. — It was not un- 
til the prizes were being placed at St. Louis a few 
weeks later that matters came to a head. Mr. Earl 
again urged the proposition, and after agreeing to 
all the terms the plan was arranged as contem- 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINR 449 

plated. The fairs being over, Mr. Clark took pas- 
sage for Liverpool and ^vas soon in the garden-land 
of his fathers, armed ^vith the biggest commission 
of its kind ever fulfilled in Herefordshire up to that 
time. Indeed it has been claimed, all things con- 
sidered, that the resultant purchases as a lot had 
a greater influence upon American Hereford breed- 
ing than any other one shipment ever made to our 
shores from the mother country. This, however, is 
doubtful. It was rich in point of show cattle highly 
fitted, but not all of these proved profitable. 

Sensational Shipment of 1882. — Mr. Clark took 
plenty of time in locating what he desired, and 
when in March, 1882, he assembled his purchases 
for export to America it was agreed by both press 
and public that no such lot of cattle had ever before 
left Herefordshire. It was a gaping crowd that 
watched the long line of Royal winners and other 
''top notchers," 125 in number, wend its way 
through the streets on the first stages of the journey 
to the New World. Not less than fifty leading- 
breeders came to see the aggregation headed for 
America. 

It required capital to finance such buying, but Mr. 
Earl had full faith both in his agent and in the re- 
ception such cattle would receive in the west; his 
confidence was in neither particular misplaced. 
Some inkling of what was coming preceded the ar- 
rival of this sensational purchase, and expectancy 
was everywhere on tip-toe waiting with intense in- 
terest to see the great importation on its way to 



450 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the west, with Royal ribbons flying and the Wiltons 
at their head. The importation was landed at Port- 
land and quarantined on H. C. Burleigh's fann. 

Sir Bartle Frere and Romeo. — First in the list 
was the flash yearling, Sir Bartle Frere 6419, first 
at the Royal show of 1881, for which Carwardine 
was paid $3,000, the record price for a Hereford bull 
in England up to that date. He was born on the 
Fourth of July, 1880, possibly predestined from the 
beginning to head this triumphal array of Eng- 
land's best to "the land of the free." By another 
strange freak of fortune on the very same American 
national holiday another of Mr. Carwardine 's cows, 
Rosaline, by DeCote, had given birth to the bull 
Romeo 6420, which also gained great honor and was 
bought by Mr. Clark to stand at Sir Bartle 's side in 
the great days that followed at Shadeland. 

"Bartle," as he was always known in stable par- 
lance, was every inch the show bull, having had the 
rare distinction before importation of being the 
"runner-up" to his own sire at Tredegar show in a 
class open to all breeds, Lord Wilton being nine 
years old at the time. He had the forward finish 
and grace that commonly went with the Wilton 
blood, a wide loin, long quarters, good cover of flesh 
evenly disposed, neat bone, and the bearing on pa- 
rade that ever appeals to the galleries. If he was 
of the "matinee idol" type, Romeo, his half-brother 
and companion in this trans-Atlantic pilgrimage, 
furnished an admirable "foil," for he was a sure- 
enough "feeder's delight" — low of leg, short of 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 451 

neck, round-barreled, yellow-skinned and mellow- 
fleshed. "Bartle" never left Shadeland except at 
show time, but Romeo went up on "Turkey Foot," 
as the Earl Park place was locally termed, and left 
a progeny invariably furaished with mellow hides 
and the best of hair. One of his sons. Equity 2d 
12547, out of imp. Pansy 9th by Regulus, was sold 
at eleven months to go to Missouri at $1,000. Sir 
Bartle Frere was shown repeatedly and success- 
fully, and was used steadily as a stock bull until 
his death. He was specially noted as a heifer-get- 
ter, his daughters, including all of the long line 
designated as Lady Wiltons, maturing into beauti- 
ful cows which were quite the pride of the breeding 
herd in its palmy days. Of these Lady Wilton 26th 
and Lady Wilton 27th were perhaps the best. 

Prince Edward and Royal 16th. — In addition to 
these two noted bulls there came Prince Edward 
7001, also a yearling and also by Lord Wilton, and 
out of Lilac by DeCote, hence an own brother in 
blood to Romeo. He was first shown at Lafayette in 
his yearling form, defeating Anxiety 4th and Anxi- 
ety 5tli, and he later stood at the head of the first 
prize young herd at Chicago in 1882. He after- 
wards acquired a wide reputation in the hands of 
George W. Henry, a Chicago lumber merchant who 
maintained for some years a large herd at Rossland 
Park, Ashkum, 111. Mr. Henry paid Mr. Earl $1,500 
for this bull. 

While at Green's (of Marlow) Mr. Clark found a 
bull nearly two years old put aside for special feed- 






452 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ing. He was a big-framed smooth one and though 
in very ordinary flesli was evidently not regarded 
as anything specially good. Asked what he was 
doing with the bull Mr. Green replied, "To tell the 
truth, if not sold soon we shall be sending him to 
the shambles." A price being requested, the sum 
of £75 was named. Clark rescued him from the 
butcher and fetched him to Shadeland. 

This was Royal 16th 6459, that fed up to 2,010 
pounds for the Lafayette show of September, 1882, 
where he beat both Romeo and Tregrehan. He 
headed the Earl & Stuart aged show herd until Sir 
Bartle Frere grew to maturity, and was used as a 
stock bull up to the time of his sale in November, 
1883, to Mr. A. A. Crane, Osco, 111., at $1,020. He 
was got by Chieftain 4516 out of Lady 8th by 
Zealous 1408, he by Sir Benjamin 36tli out of Gov- 
erness by Sovereign 221. One of his sons. Emperor 
3d 11227,* out of imp. Silver Star by Spartan, was 
sold by Mr. Earl to W. A. Colt of Missouri at ten 
months of age for $1,000. Another, Emperor, out 
of the famous Venus, was sold to C. D. Hudson of 
Missouri for $1,500. 

Venus and Henrietta at $2,500.— With Sir Bartle 
Frere, Romeo and Prince Edward to stand for the 
Wilton blood in the male line, there came the beau- 



*The Roval Ifith buUs were growthy ones. In "The Breeder's 
Gazette" for Oct. 25, 1883, Mr. Earl reported that one of the 
Emperors, by Royal Ifith, the second of that name, out of the 
imported cow Lofty 7th by .John Hill's Merry Monarch, weighed 
at eight months old 847 pounds, running with other calves and 
with no nurse, having been raised with his own mother. While 
there is nothing specially remarkable in this it illustrates again 
the scale that commonly went with the Green blood, and inci- 
dentally indicates that the Merry Monarch mother was an excel- 
lent milker. 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 453 

iful heifer Venus, which had been first at the 
Boyal. With lier bewitching head, her light in- 
curved drooping horns, her phenomenally compact 
onformation, extraordinary width, depth and 
hortness of leg, Venus was a strictly sensational 
eifer of any breed. With her was the handsome 
enrietta, also a recipient of Royal honors, a fit 
aid-of -honor to little Venus. Carwardine received 
2,500 of Shadeland's money for the pair. 
Clark Gets Peerless. — As if this were not suffi- 
ient to start a Wilton boom, there came the stun- 
ing sisters Delight 2d and Peerless, Venus 2d, 
enus 3d, Henrietta 2d, Jessie 2d, Gertrude Wilton, 
ramble 2d, Ruth Wilton, Rosabella Wilton, Lady 
, and Floss — all daughters of Lord AVilton. 
In pursuance of his agreement to alloAv Mr. Clark 
to select a few heifers for his own herd, Mr. Earl 
after first reserving Venus and Henrietta allowed 
\ his agent to make a choice of all the rest. Clark 
selected Peerless and she proved one of the pillars 
of his fortune as a cattle breeder, as will appear 
later. Choice was then alternated until Clark got 
eight head, all taken over at the cost price. 

Li this historic importation was also included tlie 
famous Carwardine breeding cow Tiny, mother of 
Sir Bartle Frere and Clark's Anxiety 3d, and good 
cows from Philip Turner's, George Childs', T. D. 
Burlton's, and other leading herds. 

Garfield. — While the object of the purchase and 
importation of so many Lord Wiltons was to take 
advantage of the existing popularity of that blood, 



454 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

there was also bought from John Price at 600 
guineas the bull calf Garfield 7015, by Quickset 
6853, he by Regulus by Sir Roger by Sir Thomas, 
out of Plum 7016 by Challenge 1561. He had been 
first in the calf class at the Koyal show, was clearly 
the best of his year in England, and in America de- 
veloped pronounced substance and prepotency, be- 
coming widely celebrated as a bull-getter. He had 
not the finish of Sir Bartle Frere, but presented all 
those enduring qualities that had made the Here- 
fords famous — good bone, deep flesh, a rugged mas- 
culinity, and an iron constitution. He was main- 
tained in service at Shadeland until his death, and 
made his greatest success as a cross upon Sir Bartle 
Frere heifers. The famous Earls of Shadeland were 
all sired by Garfield, the greatest of them being 
Earl of Shadeland 22d 27147, a fine show bull and a 
good sire that left among other fine daughters in 
the herd Shadeland Cora, Sunflower 2d, Sunflower 
3d, and Shadeland Daisy. 

John Lewis, Herd Manager. — In June, 1883, John 
Lewis came out from Herefordshire, and shortly 
after entered the service of Earl & Stuart. Born 
in the parish of Eaton Bishop, on Nov. 6, 1833, he 
had for some years been farming on his own ac- 
count, breeding a few good cattle and occasionally 
competing successfully at local shows. Charles B. 
Stuart and Mr. Lewis made a good combination. 
Stuart possessed one of the keenest minds ever at- 
tracted to cattle-breeding problems in the United 
States. Although a lawyer by profession, he be- 



456 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

came an enthusiast upon the subject of high-class 
Hereforcls and soon came to know the good ones. 
Mr. Lewis was an ideal selection as manager of the 
Hue herd to be built up from this choice importation 
of 1882. A lover of cattle, a rare judge and skilful 
feeder, learned in the mysteries of stock-breeding, 
respected and loved in all his relations, the annals 
of American cattle-breeding afford few instances of 
greater success achieved than tliat worked out 
largely by Lewis and Mr. Stuart in the production 
and development of the Shadeland Herefords. 

During the golden days of the business that fol- 
lowed this Lord Wilton-Garfield importation, the 
herd, at one time numbering between 200 and 300 
head, was in many respects the most attractive of 
any on American soil. During the year 1883 the 
sales at private treaty from the herd aggregated 43 
head and averaged over $500. In November of that 
year 37 head were sold at auction at Kansas City 
for an average of $576.35, including the cow Perfec- 
tion 2d to C. D. Hudson, Marshall, Mo., at $1,070, 
Brunette to Fowler & ^'anNatta at $1,000, Chris- 
tabel 3d to Howard Bros., Edgar, Neb., at $1,000, 
and Royal 16th to Mr. Crane at $1,020. The cattle 
were always ' ' fit, " the calves well ' ' done, ' ' the young 
bulls admirably managed, the sappy yearlings and 
ripe two-year-old heifers sorted by age so as to im- 
press by a massing of their beauty, the breeding 
matrons always in shape to admire, and the herd 
bulls the magnet that drew visitors from all states. 

"Uncle John" Lewis is entitled to a very large 



I 



HEAVY BUYING IN ENGLAND BEGINS 457 



sliare of the credit for the celebrit}^ attained by this 
splendidly maintained establishment. At no other 
Hereford-breeding farm in America has there ever 
been made a more effective standing presentation 
of the breed. It mattered not when one went to 
Shadeland. It was a show place any day of the 
year. Mr. Lewis was ably assisted in his work by 
Tom Andrews, an Englishman who always rendered 
efficient help in connection with the training of the 
show cattle. Tom Waters, a brother of George 
Waters, one of the most famous of the old-time 
western herdsmen, also worked under Mr. Lewis, 
having in especial charge the beautiful herd of 
breeding coy»^s so long the admiration of Shadeland 
visitors.* 



*At this writins (1914) Mr. Lewis, long- since retired, still 
lives near Lafayette. Although in feeble health, at the age of 
four-score years, the veteran cattleman looks back over a long 
life well spent among the animals to which he was so ardently 
devoted, and dreams of the days when his pets were the pride of 
the countryside. 



CHAPTER X. 

OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE 
HISTORY. 

Another of the partners in the old Chicago Stock 
Yards packing firm of Culbertson, Blair & Co. be- 
came largely interested in Herefords, and was spe- 
cially fortunate in forming a connection with one 
of the best cattlemen America has yet produced. 
The one was Moses Fowler, banker and landowner 
of Lafayette, Ind. ; the other was the late William 
S. VanNatta. The co-partnership formed between 
them in 1876 lasted for more than a quarter of a 
century, and had a far-reaching and in every way 
a wholesome influence upon the development of the 
business of cattle breeding in the western United 
States. 

Mr. Fowler had a large body of undeveloped land 
in Benton Co., Ind., some 25,000 acres in extent, 
which he wished to put to some profitable use. No 
plow had ever run a furrow through the native 
sod. The grazing of cattle was of course the logical 
solution to this problem, and Mr. VanNatta was the 
ideal man to handle the practical side of the busi- 
ness. Neither owned any Herefords at the time. 

Mr. VanNatta 's Early Experiences. — Mr. Van- 
Natta was born in Tippecanoe Co., Ind., in 1830. 

458 




MOSES FOWLER. 



460 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

For a dozen years or more prior to the formation 
of the partnership witli Moses Fowler, he had been 
buying and shipping cattle to the eastern markets, 
chiefly to Buffalo and New York. That was of course 
a wearisome business then, compared with now. 
There were long drives to loading chutes, and once 
on the rails the service was not always of the ex- 
press sort. "However," Mr. \'anNatta once said, 
"we always got there some how and usually found 
good entertainment and comfortable accommoda- 
tions while the business of selling was in progress. 
The methods in vogue then would probably seem 
somewhat crude nowadays, but we nevertheless 
found markets that enabled us to turn many an 
Indiana pasture and cornfleld into cash at a good 
profit, via the live stock route." 

During this period the only improved cattle of 
which there was any trace throughout the country 
generally were the Shorthorns and their grades. 
These, Mr. VanNatta testified, "made good cattle 
when matured, but tliey were at that time inclined 
to be leggy and matured slowly, having to be kept 
until they were three or four years old before they 
were in a condition to market." 

Tn the fall of 1876 Mr. VanNatta went to New 
Mexico and bought 1,500 steers to place in the big 
Benton county pastures, and in the spring of 1877 
he took up his residence in the town of Fowler. His 
attention was directed to the new l)reed of "white 
faces" and they struck him as being of a type that 
wouhl be inclined to make more beef off grass and 




WILLIAM S. VANNATTA. 



462 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

at an earlier age than the kind of Shorthorns then 
available. 

It must be remembered that up to this date land 
values and the price of foodstuffs had been com- 
paratively cheap. The cost of production of steers 
was not great, but prices of both farms and food 
products were then advancing, as indeed they still 
are, so that it was imperative that the feeder seek 
an early-maturing, quick-feeding, thick-fleshed class 
of cattle. The Herefords seemed to meet these re- 
quirments, and it was decided to introduce them on 
the Fowler lands. 

First of the Fowler Herefords. — It was about 1878 
that the first Hereford bull was bought from Mr. 
Robert Sample, who in connection with Mr. Seabury 
had established a herd in that vicinity. During the 
following years twenty-five or thirty head, mainly 
young cows and heifers, were bought from T. L. 
Miller, they being Mr. VanNatta's choice of his en- 
tire herd at that time. Among these was the heifer 
Princess 1990, by Seventy-six, he by Sir Richard 2d. 
Princess was out of Prairie Flower, one of Mr. Mil- 
ler's best daughters of old Success, and afterwards 
produced to the cover of Tregrehan the famous bull 
Fowler. Another one of this original purchase was 
Viola, by Sir Richard 2d, afterwards shown success- 
fully at leading fairs against females of all breeds; 
mated with Star Grove 1st she produced Viola 4th, 
another extra show cow. 

Tregrehan Bought. — In 1880 a few cows and a 
bull were imported from England with the first lot 



464 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

brought out by Messrs. Earl & Stuart. Mr. Van- 
Natta's instructions to them were to buy for his 
account as good a bull as they could find, no limit 
being placed on the price to be paid. Under this 
commission Tredegar was delivered, but lie was a 
disappointment. Speaking of the incident Mr. Van- 
Natta said: "When he arrived I did not care much 
for him and turned him over to my son Frank to 
breed grades from, whereupon I journeyed down 
to Maine, where Messrs. Burleigh & Bodwell had 
long maintained a good herd of home-bred and im- 
ported cattle, and from them I bought the bull Tre- 
grehan, afterwards so celebrated as a sire." 

Tregrehan, the real founder of this herd, was bred 
in Cornwall, England. He was sired by Assurance, 
a half-brotlier to old Anxiety, both being by Long- 
horns. He was dropped in 1879 and was three years 
old when he came to Fowler. Speaking of this pur- 
chase Mr. VanNatta said: ''We paid a pretty good 
price, for that time, and wdien I told Mr. Fowler 
what he had cost he remarked, 'You wanted him 
pretty badly, did you not?' Two or three years 
afterwards, when I priced him at $3,000, Mr. Fowler 
said, 'I would not be willing to sell him for that 
price, or any other price.' I then got back at him 
by remarking, 'You want him pretty badly, do you 
not?' " 

Tregrehan was not a big bull, probably not weigh- 
ing much more than 2,100 pounds, but he was un- 
usually low on the leg and carried his beef right 
down to his hocks. He was a bull of extraordinary 



t 



OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 465 

coiisiiiution, very dcc^p tlij-oiigli tlic heart, with full 
brisket; lie was straight on the back to the tailroot, 
with the exception of a deep cup or dimple in the 
middle of his back to which many objected. When- 
ever this was criticised, however, Mr. VanNatta al- 
ways remarked, ''Well, if the bull did not carry a 
great load of meat on his back, he would not have 
any dimple." His imderline was also good, his 
shoulders smooth, his head and horns masculine and 
full of character, and his body a mass of flesh. He 
was quick and active in his movements, and a sire 
of valuable show and breeding stock. 

By this time the firm was carrying from 500 to 
2,500 head of steers in the big pastures, and as the 
Hereford grades began to be available it was found 
that they gave splendid satisfaction as grazers. 

Fowler & VanNatta began showing Herefords in 
the early '80 's, in a small w^ay at first at the Lafay- 
ette and Crawfordsville fairs in Indiana. In those 
days all breeds competed and they had many a hard 
fight with their Shorthorn antagonists, represented 
by such careful fitters as J. H. Potts & Son, "Uncle" 
Harvey Sodowsky, and their contemporaries. 
Tregrehan was sent out at the head of the first herd, 
and a few years later Fowler & VanNatta began 
making the rounds of the big circuit with cattle 
largely the get of that bull. They were a party to 
the famous ''invasion" of Kentucky in 1886, show- 
ing that year Fowler, Viola, Peeress, Miss Fowler 
and Tjassie — one of the most successful herds of 
that dav. 



466 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

Fowler. — Tregrehan's son, Fowler, made the rep- 
utation of the Fowler & VanNatta herd. He 
weighed in matured show condition near 2,800 
pounds, was very smooth and symmetrical, and with 
his freedom of movement and gaiety of carriage 
never failed to present a very imposing front. He 
was a remarkably well balanced bull, having no 
special faults. He was not only a show bull, but 
proved a wonderful stock-getter. One of his daugh- 
ters. Fowler Queen 2d, owned by John Steward, 
was first in that great yearling class at the Chicago 
World's Fair, and her daughter Queenly in her turn 
afterwards had an unbeaten showyard record. As 
showing how the blood bred on, her daughter, 
Prairie Queen, subsequently won first in her class 
and the junior championship at the Chicago Inter- 
national. 

Another famous daughter of Fowler was Jewel 
Fowler, dam of the great steer Jack, which was the 
first bullock to win a grand championship over all 
ages and breeds in his yearling form. This honor 
came to him at the hands of Mr. Richard Gibson in 
the show held at Madison Square Garden in New 
York City. Jack repeated his championship, win- 
ning at the Chicago Fat Stock Show in his two- 
year-old form. Jewel Fowler also produced the bull 
Java, whose get have figured prominently in prize- 
lists at leading shows. She also produced the fa- 
mous March On 6th, sold to Mr. Funkhouser when 
six months old for $1,000, an offer of $7,500 being 
afterwards refused for him. 



OTHER MAKERS OP WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 467 

In response to a request from the author of this 
volume the following statement relating to this cele- 
brated bull was prepared by Mr. VanNatta's herd 
manager, John J. Steward, some years ago : 

''Fowler was a calf of medium size. I well re- 
member taking him in my arms time and again, 
carrying him from the calf pen to his dam's stall at 
Lsuckling time. By this you will see that he started 
lout in life a pet. His dam being an extra good 
[milker the calf was kept up in the barn longer 
ithan usual; he was unable to take all his mother's 
lilk until between two and three months old, and 
consequently got more handling and notice than the 
general crop of calves did that early. My old friend 
reorge Waters at that time had charge of the Hick- 
)ry Grove Herd, and many a time together we 
^looked at this calf and guessed and prophesied as to 
diat he was likely to make. 

"As most of your readers know. Fowler was bred 
)y Fowler & VanNatta, although Mr. W. S. Van- 
fatta was always the actual managing partner. One 
)f his chief ideas often expressed to me in those 
tarly years of his cattle-breeding operations was 
pis: 'I am going to widen out and improve the 
dndquarters of these cattle.' So when this calf 
'■as dropped, being so strong in that respect he was 
)on selected for future use in the herd. It almost 
iemed as though he came on purpose. He got his 
lame Fowler on account of his great promise, being 
considered good enough to be named after the senior 
partner of the firm. 

"Before saying more about Fowler let us go back 
a little further and mention his sire, imp. Tregre- 
han 6203, quite a noted bull in English sho wrings 
and several times a sweepstakes winner after his 
arrival on this side. He was a very low-down, thick- 



468 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Ih'slird, (l(M'p-l)odi(Ml bull, with a wondprful width 
of front, and })rovpd to Ix' a very ini])ressive sire. 
I might state Jiere how Mr. N'anNatta came to buy 
Tregrehan. He was on a visit to the h\te H. C. 
Burleigh in Maine (the importer) and at once on 
seeing the bull determined to buy him, but could 
not get a price on him until he agreed to purchase 
two carloads of cows, which he did; he brought the 
bull home with him. Tregrehan sired quite a num- 
ber of show cattle besides Fowler and transmitted 
to his get the power to breed on and give to his 
descendants, even to the third and fourth genera- 
tion, his wonderful constitution, early-maturing 
qualities, smoothness of flesh and noted showyard 
style. 

"As will be seen on looking over a tabulated pedi- 
gree, Tregrehan was bred right to be a right sire; 
his sire. Assurance 4589, was almost a full brother 
in blood to imp. Anxiety, both being by-Longhorns 
out of DeCote cows, while his dam traces back to old 
Sir Benjamin. His dam. Princess 1990, besides be- 
ing a heavy milker was naturally a. thick-fleshed 
cow and soon got fat when dry. She was a long- 
bodied, roomy cow, with a well sprung rib, extra 
long hindquarters, a beautiful head and fine droop- 
ing horns — just the kind of cow one would expect 
to be a good producer. An examination of the tabu- 
lated pedigree of Fowler will show that w^e have 
close up not only the Assurance or Anxiety blood 
through his sire, but through his dam the blood of 
Sir Richard 2d and old Success, two of the most 
noted bulls of their day and to which the Hereford 
breed owes much of its prominence in America to- 
day by their use in the herds of T. L. Miller, 0. M. 
Culbertson and others of the earlier American 
breeders. Tracing back further we find the blood of 
old Sir Thomas in several lines, also that of the 



I 



OTHER MAKERiS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 469 



Hewer Bros, and Messrs. Arkwriglit and Philip 
Turner stock, thus clearly sliowing that Fowler 
owed much of his greatness to inheritance. 

' ' In his yearling form Fowler was such a growthy 
fellow that to some breeders he looked a bit leggy, 
though really his make-up then was a preparatory 
form of the massive bull he finally made, weighing 
in his five-year-old form 2,800 jDOunds. His first 
appearance in the showring was when two years 
old, when he stood at the head of the grand sweep- 
stakes herd at the Illinois State Fair in 1885, which 
victory he repeated in the following year besides 
winning in his class at that and several other fairs 
and defeating such noted bulls as imp. Hesiod, Sir 
Bartle Frere and others. This winning of grand 
sweepstakes with the herd he headed was the first 
time the Herefords had done the trick at a state 
fair up to that time, and I well remember how hu- 
miliated the noted Shorthorn showman, Mr. H. So- 
dowsky, was when ordered to follow the Herefords, 
headed by Fowler, in the parade. Still, the majority 
of Shorthorn breeders admired and I may say re- 
spected the bull, for he could hold his own in the 
showring among his opponents better than any bull 
of his breed up to that time, and some of our battles 
of the breeds in those days were rather bitter 
affairs. 

"Fowler was a natural show bull, always full of 
style, his fine head erect, his bright full eye noticing 
everything around him. I used to think he under- 
stood the art of posing, for no sooner was he led out 
of his stall for inspection when he would square 
himself up and be at the 'attention' mark, showing 
to advantage every good point. His straight top 
and bottom lines, wonderful heartgirth, deep wide 
chest, strong loin, and massive hindquarters, sup- 



470 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ported on clean straight legs, never failed to draw 
words of praise from the examiner. The idea which 
I wish to give of him can be easily understood b}^ 
those who have seen the engraving after Palmer of 
the 'Hickory Grove Herefords. ' 

''During the years Fowler was fitted and shown 
he was used heavily in service most of the time. His 
feed consisted chiefly of ground oats, bran and 
beets, with a small proportion of corn and oilcake. 
I always attributed his great growth to a generous 
amount of milk and muscle-making food during the 
early part of his life. As to his worth as a breeder 
we have a long list of animals of his get (many 
noted in the showring) which need little eulogy 
from my pen. Cherry Boy must stand first and 
foremost; to speak of him as he deserves would call 
for a separate chapter. Other bulls of note from 
his loins were Chicago, Fowler Prince, Lord Fowler 
and Cherry Lad. Of his many daughters I shall con- 
fine myself to the mention of only a few: May 
Fowler, herself a sweepstakes winner and great pro- 
ducer, was the dam of Mr. Funkhouser's May Day 
and grandam of Hesiod 29th. Jewel Fowler was 
the dam of Java, which sired so many winners for 
Mr. John Hooker and is now at Sunny Slope in 
service; she was also the dam of the champion steer 
Jack, and her last calf was March On 6th, the first 
prize bull calf at the great Kansas City Show, 
where he was purchased by Mr. Funkhouser. Rosa 
Fowler was the dam of Eosa Grove and of the prize- 
winning heifer Miss March On. Clarissa was also 
a great breeding cow, and the last three named are 
still at Hickory Grove. Tlien comes Fowler Queen 
2d, winner at the World 's Fair, and again at Omaha, 
and now nursing her sixth calf. I cannot close this 
list without mentioning a few more, such as Lassie 
(the dam of Mr. Sotham's great producing cow 



OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 



471 



Grove Lassie), Mr. George Redhead's Gussie Fow- 
ler, and Mr. Curtice's line breeding cow Cherry 
Girl. The foregoing list clearly proves what I said 
above relating to the Tregrehan-Fowler blood breed- 
ing on. Many others of merit I could mention. 
While on a recent visit to Hickory Grove spending 
a few days among my old favorites I had repeated 
opportunities of seeing how many of the good young 
things now in the herd trace their descent from 
Fowler. 

"In his thirteenth year Fowler was shipped to 
the Chicago Stock Yards, though still potent. From 
continued heavy service and his great weight his 
hocks became spavined, which seriously interfered 
with his usefulness; having a big surplus of cattle 
on hand at the time and the cattle trade then being 
at its lowest ebb, Mr. VanNatta decided to ship 
him for slaughter along with a trio of other noted 
bulls — Anxiety 4tli 2947, Star Grove 1st and Hen- 
gler. Determined to see the last of my old favorite, 
I accompanied these bulls to the stockyards. Even 
then, crippled as he was, old Fowler still attracted 
all onlookers and drew plaudits of praise from the 
stockyards men by his proud carriage. He weighed 
then 2,400 pounds, his loin as thick and smooth as 
ever and his back, as it always was, as straight as a 
yardarm. ' ' 

Looking back over all of his Hereford breeding 
operations in his later years Mr. VanNatta often 
spoke of Fowler as the most valuable bull he ever 
owned. He was wonderfully prepotent and his 
blood bred on, for years winning prizes in the hard- 
est contested fights, extra finish and symmetry be- 
ing nearly always present in his descendants. There 
was about Fowler a certain strong and showy char- 



472 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

acter, an individuality peculiarly liis own, that 
stamped liim as one of the best of the breed in his 
day and generation. 

Burleigh & Bodwell.— Mr. Hall C. Burleigh of 
Maine has already been mentioned as one of the 
earliest New England breeders. He bought his first 
purebred bull in 1865 and was so pleased with tlie 
results of his use that in 1868 he purchased eleven 
head, then the entire herd of Hon. M. H. Cochrane 
of Quebec, including the young bull Compton Lad 
1327.* Mr. Burleigh at once began exhibiting his 
cattle at the leading eastern fairs, Compton Lad 
proving a remarkably successful bull. He was ex- 
hibited for a period of nearly eight years, and is 
reported to have won seventy-four first prizes out 
of seventy-five shown for, seventeen of which were 
in competition with other breeds. This is the bull 
that was exchanged by Mr. Burleigh at the Phila- 
delphia Centennial of 1876 to Mr. John Merryman 
for the famous Sir Eicliard 2d, which as has been 
ah'eady stated, sired a wonderful lot of cattle while 
in use in New England and in 1878 was sold along 
with 19 females to T. L. Miller. 

Li 1879 Mr. Burleigh formed a partnership with 
Hon. J. R. Bodwell and began importing extensively 
from England. We believe he brought out seven 
lots in all, most of which were immediately resold 
for shipment to the west. Prominent among these 
were the bulls Tregrehan 6306 and Anxiety 2d 4580. 

*It has been stated that the late George Shores of Waterville, 
one of the pioneei' Hereford breeders of Maine, was financially 
interested in .this purchase also, 



OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 473 

Tregreliaii became the great foundation sire of the 
VanNatta herds. Anxiety 2d was a grand bull in 
every way. He also was taken west and in the 
hands of Gr. S. Burleigh contributed largely to the 
Hereford advance in the United States. 

H. C. Burleigh showed Herefords at the Indiana 
State Fair as early as 1881, upon which occasion 
he won class prizes but in the competition against 
Shorthonis received nothing. It is stated that on 
complaining of unfair treatment upon this occasion 
an officer of the society, after telling him that all 
the officials of the show were Shorthorn partisans, 
ended by saying: ''I tell you plainly, the Almighty 
never created a Hereford or an animal of any breed 
that can beat a third-class Shorthorn on this show 
ground in the sweepstakes ring." Two years later, 
however, this statement found complete refutation, 
Mr. Burleigh winning a championship in a ring of 
thirty-six females with the cow Truth 2d 6605. 

In 1883 the Indiana Blooded Stock Co. was or- 
ganized with a capital stock of $200,000, Mr. Bur- 
leigh being president. Messrs. Fletcher and Holt of 
Indianapolis were largely interested and were in 
local charge of the herd, which subsequently ob- 
tained prominence as one of the important collec- 
tions of the breed in the middle west, making a 
number of successful public sales at Chicago and 
Kansas City. In 1883 this company won "The 
Breeder's Gazette" $250 gold challenge shield at 
the Fat Stock Show with the beautiful heifer Bur- 
leigh's Pride, a Hereford-Angus cross weighing 



474 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

1,820 pounds at two years old. Mr. Bureligh bred 
the steer Fisherman, that was successfully shown at 
Kansas City, Chicago and the New Orleans exposi- 
tions. He also exhibited the good bullocks Tidy Boy 
and Rosy Duke, seen at the Fat Stock Show of 1884 
and taken back east to form a part of a great col- 
lection of steers shown there in 1885. Upon the 
death of (jov. Bodwell in 1887 Mr. Burleigh pur- 
chased his interest in the partnership herd. He died 
in 1895 and was succeeded in the ownership of the 
cattle by his son Thomas G. Burleigh, who still car- 
ries the herd upon the old farm. 

Gudgell & Simpson. — We come now to perhaps 
the most important story of all — a story that really 
begins with the departure of "Governor" Simpson 
of Missouri for Herefordshire in 1881 and which is 
yet to be concluded. The end is not in sight at 
this writing. 

The foundation of the Gudgell & Simpson herd 
at Independence, Mo., was laid in 1877. It was then 
that Charles Gudgell purchased for himself and his 
brother James R. Gudgell three cows, four two- 
year-old heifers, and one bull from the herd of F. 
W. Stone, Guelph, Ontario. These animals were a 
choice selection and were representative of the best 
strains from the herds of Lord Bateman, Lord 
Berwick, and Mr. Williams. This constituted the 
first herd of the breed located in the state of Mis- 
souri and the second west of the Missouri River. 
A second purchase was made from the same source 
the following year. In this lot were a yearling 




CHABLBS OUDOBLL. 



■476 A HISTORY OF JIEKEFOKD CATTLE 

heifer and the imported bull Governor 4tli 1293, 
which had been in use in the Stone herd for a few 
years. There were also about a dozen young bulls 
which were sold at auction in May, 1879, at Kansas 
City — the first public sale of registered Herefords 
ever held west of the Missouri River. The average 
price was $256, and the purchasers were men who 
had never seen a. Hereford before that time. Dur- 
ing 1879 a few females were added to the herd by 
purchases from breeders in northern Ohio.* 

In 1880 a business arrangement was made with T. 
A. Simpson whereby he became financiall}^ inter- 
ested in the herd, and the business was subsequently 
conducted under the firm name of Gudgell & Simp- 
son. Under this arrangement operations were to be 
conducted upon a more extensive scale and an im- 
portation of Herefords from England was at once 
undertaken. This importation of about sixty head 
included a yearling bull for herd use, the remainder 
being heifers, cows and calves. 
* "A Bull With An End."— A second importation 
was made in 1881 of something over 100 head, con- 
sisting in the main of females for the breeding herd 
and about twenty-five head of young bulls for use 
on a ranch in Colorado in which the junior partners 
were interested. In this importation came the two 
yearling bulls Anxiety 4th 9904 and North Pole 
8946, destined to accomplish a very great improve-. 

*AiTiong- other early owners of registered Herefords in Mis- 
souri were Mr. Fielding W. Smith, J. :\r. McKim, F. C. McCutcheon 
and J. R. Henderson. Messrs. Gudgell & Simpson imported and 
handled Aberdeen-Angus cattle as well as Herefords for a time, 
but after a few years limited tlieir opei-ations to the breeding of 
"white faces." 




T. A. snrpsoN. 



478 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ment in the Gudgell & Simpson herd and in the 
Hereford breed of cattle. Anxiety 4th came from 
the herd of T. J. Carwardine and North Pole from 
that of Aaron Rogers, both herds at that time being 
very conspicuous in the English showyards. 

When Mr. Simpson was leaving home for his sec- 
ond importation and was bidding good-bye to his 
partner, the senior Gudgell, he asked, ''What are 
your parting instructions?" Gudgell answered, 
"If you find a bull over there with an end to him, 
bring him with you." Simpson claimed that Anxi- 
ety 4th was bought in compliance with and fulfil- 
ment of this injunction. 

A third importation of about 100 head was made 
in 1882 which consisted mainly of females for the 
breeding herd. These were taken into a country 
that had for years been strong in the Shorthorn 
faith and the following statement by Mr. Gudgell 
as to the reception met with by the "white faces" 
is therefore of interest : 

"At the time of our introduction of the.Herefords 
this locality w^as a great center for Shorthorns, of 
which breed there were over 3,000 head of regis- 
tered animals in Jackson county. Mo., besides a 
great many in the neighboring counties. As may 
well be surmised, we had a lonesome time of it in 
presenting the merits of the Herefords, as well as 
a lively time in answering the criticisms to which 
they were freely subjected. While some of the com- 
petent critics would admit the good features of the 
short legs, thick flesh and good middles of the Here- 
fords, they all pounced unmercifully upon their 
heavy heads, large horns and thick leathery necks, 



i 



480 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

as compared with these features in the Shortliorns, 
and turned away in apparent disgust at siglit of 
what they termed their peaked and cat-hammed 
hindquarters. Being accustomed ourselves to judge 
of cattle somewhat from the Shorthorn standard 
(we at that time owned a small herd of this breed), 
we could not but admit to ourselves that the Here- 
fords were open to some criticism in the above men- 
tioned features, and we thereupon resolved to make 
an effort to correct the defects. 

'^After seeing the imported bull Anxiety 2238 at 
Chicago on his arrival in this country, and being 
much impressed with his conformation, we were 
satisfied that the features so severely criticised in 
the Herefords could be very materially improved. 
To this end we determined to see for ourselves what 
manner of Herefords they had on the other side of 
the Atlantic. In pursuance of this resolution we) 
visited Herefordshire in the following summer of, 
1880 and brought over a shipment of nearly sixty' 
head. This importation we followed up the next 
year with a second importation of over 100 head,' 
and again in 1882 with a third importation of a like 
number. With the exception of some thirty bulls 
that we brought over for use on a western ranch 
in which we were interested these cattle were nearly 
all females, selected for breeding and not for specu- 
lative purposes." 

Anxiety 4th and North Pole. — After this last im- 
portation these breeders found themselves in posses- 
sion of a large herd of females selected from some 
twenty different herds and representing many 
strains of breeding and different types. They also 
had the two bulls Anxiety 4th 9904 and North Pole 
894G, which they retained for service after the other 






I OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 481 

herd bulls previously used had been disposed of. 
These two bulls could not be classed as of the same 
type, although they were similar in some respects. 
They were both straight and level in their toplines, 
with drooping horns (those of Anxiety 4th the more 
pronounced in this respect), smooth and round over 
the hips, thick-fleshed, and they had good coats of 
hair. North Pole was the larger bull and was some- 
what longer in his legs; he was a bull of great consti- 
tution. Anxiety 4th, although short of leg, had 
heavier bone, a feature that was transmitted to his 
descendants for several generations. The use of 
these two bulls in this herd of cows developed the 
fact that North Pole was not a success as a sire of 
bulls, his bull calves showing the upstanding feature 
to an unsatisfactory degree. On the other hand his 
heifer calves were not so affected but were of much 
more than ordinary merit. Anxiety 4th proved a 
most satisfactory sire of both bulls and heifers — 
probably the greatest *'all around" breeding bull 
ever imported. 

The mingling of the blood of these two bulls 
proved one of the happiest nicks known in Ameri- 
can Hereford history. It has been suggested ihat 
North Pole has never been given full credit in con- 
aection with the extraordinary success that followed 
jthe crossing of Anxiety 4th upon his heifers. Cer- 
5ain it is that a great "hit" was scored in the blend- 
ng of the blood of these two bulls. North Pole 
aad not so pleasing a head as Anxiety 4th, neither 
was he so good at the thighs, but he was strong 



482 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

around the heart, a point where Anxiety 4th was 
faulted. The latter was so good in his head and so 
wonderful in his quarters that he corrected any 
tendency on the part of North Pole's daughters to 
perpetuate their sire's defects in those particulars. 
It was, in brief, a case where one admirably bal- 
anced the other. 

The breeding of Anxiety 4tli has already been set 
forth. North Pole was sired by Mars 12th 4462, 
bred by the Greens of Marlow from Wrexham 2411 
and Gem 8th 4440 by Dauphin 3353. The Marlow 
cattle were always noted for their scale and consti- 
tution. Dauphin was got by Renown 2854, bred by, 
Lord Berwick of Cronkhill. 

Simpson's Discernment. — Along with this second 
importation there came a young cow, Dowager 6th 
6932, that figures extensively in the pedigrees of- 
many high-class Herefords of the present day 
through her sons Don Carlos 33734 and Don Quixote 
37205 and her double grandson Beau Donald 58996. 
When Mr. Simpson and James P. Gudgell, who ac- 
companied him on his trip to England, visited the 
herd of Mr. Thomas Lewis of Woodhouse they 
found the cattle in very thin condition and by no 
means attractive in appearance. After glancing 
over the herd Mr. Simpson asked the price of one 
young cow that, if anything, seemed thinner in flesh 
than any others of the herd. The price was given 
and Mr. Simpson promptly bought her. Gudgell 
asked him what he wanted with that skeleton and 
if he was going to start a boneyard? Simpson 



OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 483 

laughed and said, ''That cow is a pretty tough- 
looking proposition, but she will be all right when 
she has a little Missouri corn and bluegrass. ' ' This 
statement proved to be true, for this Dowager 6th 
made one of the finest cows of all their importa- 
tions and was a most satisfactory breeder. In this 
case as in nearly all of his other purchases, seeing 
that he bought for these importations scarcely any 
cattle that were in high condition or had been fitted 
for show, the knowledge which Gov. Simpson had 
acquired of animal anatomy in his earlier vocation 
was of great advantage to him. He had formerly 
been in the horse and mule business, in which he 
bought up young and thin animals and fitted them 
for market, thus learning to make due allowance 
for the improvement to be made in a thin animal 
by the addition of flesh. The fact that an English 
breeder thought an animal especially fine when in 
high condition did not have any weight with him in 
making his selections. 

At the time Mr. Simpson bought Anxiety 4th 
some friendly English breeders disinterestedly ad- 
vised him to take another bull which was being 
fitted for show; they urged him so strongly that Mr. 
Aaron Rogers became impatient with their impor- 
^ tunities and told them to "let Simpson alone," that 
he knew better what he wanted than they did. Sub- 
sequent developments made very plain to them and 
others the wisdom of his selection. 

North Pole was used in the herd for about four 
years and was then sold for steer-getting purposes^- 



484 A HISTORY Ot' HEREFORD CATTLE 

Anxiety 4tli served out his period of usefulness in 
the herd and died when about ten years old. He 
was never shown at any fair — not but that he would 
have made a very creditable showing with reason- 
able fitting but because there was too much work 
cut out for him to perform. His owners had a nat- 
ural aversion to the show policy and did not pro- 
pose to shorten his period of usefulness. Par- 
tially to compensate for this his owners castrated 
the first calf from his service and named him Sus- 
pense, the steer alluded to in a previous chapter, 
which was exhibited for several years, being a prize 
winner at the Kansas City and Chicago fat stock 
shows and at the New Orleans Exposition. Sus- 
pense was a very smooth and thick-fleshed steer 
with grand loin, extra heavy hindquarters and very 
drooping horns, but he was looked upon then from 
the butcher's standpoint as rather strong in the 
bones of his legs, which however were very short, 
bringing his body very close to the ground. 

Beau Monde and Beau Real. — The first bulls by 
Anxiety 4th to attract attention by their records in 
the showring were Beau Monde 9903 and Beau Real 
11055, both bought and exhibited by Shockey & 
Gibb, Lawrence, Kans. These bulls had been in- 
cluded in a sale held at Kansas City in September, 
1884. Beau Monde was then a two-year-old and 
Beau Real but twelve months old. The latter was 
bought by Mr. Shockey for $300, and matured into 
one of the greatest bulls ever seen in the west. 

Among other bulls, sons of Anxiety 4th, which 



^ OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 485 

made good records as breeders in other herds may 
be mentioned Don Juan 11069, Sylvester 11123, 
Fanatic 27420, Western Eagle 28109, Anxiety Mon- 
arch 41216, Brainard 41770 and others. 

Best Anxiety Bulls Go To The Range.— With but 
few exceptions the bull calves by Anxiety 4th were 
sold to go to the range. There was but a limited 
demand for herd bulls and a fairly good market for 
range bulls. It is the belief of these breeders and 
of their old herdsman, George Shand, that the best 
Anxiety 4th bull they ever bred, a full brother to 
Don Carlos, was sold to a ranchman from Texas. In 
the later years of his service, when he apparently 
bred best, the cattle business was suffering a great 
depression and bulls by the carload, mainly the get 
of Anxiety 4th, were sold to ranchmen such as 
Charles Goodnight, Towers & Gudgell, and others. 

In-breeding. — The earlier breeding operations in 
the Gudgell & Simpson herd were conducted much 
upon the same lines as pursued by various Here- 
ford breeders, who were religiously abstaining from 
breeding to close affinities. So scrupulously did they 
adhere to this policy that for several years they 
bred the four heifers bought of Mr. Carwardine and 
sired by old Anxiety 2238 to North Pole. As an ex- 
periment one of these heifers was bred to Anxiety 
4th and produced a very fine calf. Under the the- 
ories that prevailed among Hereford breeders at 
that time this calf should have been lacking in some 
respect as compared with calves free from the taint 
of incestuous breedins;. But such was not the case. 



486 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

On the contrary it was so markedly superior to the 
others from the same cow and those from the other 
cows by Anxiety 2238 that the eyes of these breeders 
were opened to the possibilities which might be 
accomplished by pursuing another course in their 
breeding operations. 

They had already noted that Anxiety 4th himself 
was the product of a mating of half-brother and 
half-sister and their investigations of Hereford 
pedigrees showed them that a number of famous 
animals of the breed were the product of very close 
affinities. These facts, together with the further 
general information which they had that breeding 
from close relations in other lines of live stock had 
by no means proved unproductive of good results, 
led them to think that they too might venture cau- 
tiously within the field of close breeding and there- 
by sooner approach their ideal in the breeding of 
Herefords. The admonitions which they had from 
their friends among Hereford breeders and the un- 
favorable criticism of their course by others did not 
deter them from following up the policy which they 
had begun, though they did this with extreme cau- 
tion and with some experiments in outcrosses from 
other lines of breeding. These various outcrosses 
through bulls from other herds were not satisfac- 
tory, so they resorted to the plan of getting some 
new blood from outcrosses through the dams in- 
stead of through the sires as is usually done. This 
they were able to do because they had in their foun- 
dation stock so many different strains of blood. 



OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 487 

Don Carlos. — As already stated, the policy of close 
breeding in this herd was undertaken with caution 
and with much experimenting and some consider- 
able degree of misgiving. However, when Don Car- 
los 33734 grew up in the herd and began to be used 
he was made the main service bull for concentrating 
the blood of Anxiety 4tli and was freely used upon 
his half-sisters as well as on the cows by North 
Pole 8946. 

Don Carlos was shown at the World's Fair at 
Chicago in 1893 when seven years old, and with 
over 250 calves dropped to his service w^as given 
second place in the aged bull class and reserve for 
sweepstakes bull, as will appear further on. It was 
the intention to show Druid 46833, a son of Don 
Carlos, in the aged bull class at Chicago, but he 
accidentally got greatly frightened at some noisy 
school children so that he became very nervous and 
developed a fighting disposition. Consequently 
Don Carlos was taken as a last resort. 

An Outcross That Failed. — In the meantime an- 
other attempt at an outcross was made through the 
bull Earl of Shadeland 47th 36644, wearing the 
laurels of champion two-year-old bull at the Illinois 
State Fair at Chicago and combining the blood of 
Garfield, Lord Wilton, and The Grove 3rd. This 
bull was used for two years on some of the best 
cows of the herd but did not prove to be a success 
as a breeder, and as the demand for mature bulls 
was slack he was finally sold to the butcher. From 
this bull, however, Gudgell & Simpson got the bull 



488 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

Roseland 51840, which thej^ used in the herd for a 
couple of years. He was a good bull and a good 
breeder but his calves were sometimes lacking in the 
coat of hair desired in this herd, although his sub- 
sequent owners were very much pleased with him. 

Sons of Don Carlos. — Following Don Carlos and 
his full brother Don Quixote 37205 came Druid 
46833, Beau Bnmuuel 51817, and Lamplighter 
51834, all sired by Don Carlos and out of some of 
the best daughters of North Pole. Lamplighter was 
shown as a yearling at the Columbian Exposition 
at Chicago, was first in class and headed the first 
prize young herd. Beau Brummel, although in poor 
show condition, was fourth in the two-year-old 
class. Lamplighter was a medium-sized chunky 
bull while Beau Brummel was large and somewhat 
rangy with good head, splendid loin and very heavy 
quarters. These bulls were used with much satis- 
faction in the herd and their descendants have fig- 
ured prominently in the lists of prize winners for 
the breed in recent years. 

During the several years in which these bulls were 
in use in the herd the imported bull Chesterfield 
56697 was also in service. He was a fine individual 
and had the best of pedigree, but for some reason 
did not nick with the cows of the herd and was sold 
for use in another registered herd. 

Dandy Rex and Mischievous. — After Beau Brum- 
mel and Lamplighter came several bulls of their 
get bred in the herd, the chief of which were 
Militant 71755 and Dandy Rex 71689. The reputa- 



OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 489 

tion of Militant rests most prominently upon the 
fact that he was the sire of the two champion show 
cows Mischief Maker 97907 and Miss Caprice 
109725. Mischief Maker was the most sensational 
animal of this herd when as a yearling she was 
awarded the champion prize at Kansas City and at 
the International at Chicago in 1900. Dandy Rex, 
besides winning many other first prizes in class and 
in groups, was aw^arded the championship prize, the 
Armour trophy, as the best Hereford bull in the 
show at Kansas City in 1901. He did service in 
the herd after his competitors in the showring upon 
that occasion had passed from the field of use- 
fulness. 

Possibly the most remarkable animal bred in this 
herd was the show cow Mischievous 71758, in the 
showring every year from the time she was a year- 
ling until she was a six-year-old cow. She dropped 
her first calf, that extraordinary heifer Mischief 
Maker, when two years old and her second calf 
when three years old and she produced a calf 
regularly for many years and one pair of twins. In 
her showing she was either at the top or close to 
it; at the close of her showy ard career at Chicago 
in 1901 she weighed 2,000 pounds. 

These two animals, Dandy Rex and Mischievous, 
stable and showyard companions, might be taken 
as living refutations of some of the claimed evils 
of close breeding. They both had three close-up 
crosses of Anxiety 4th in their pedigrees, they both 
successfully ran the gauntlet of the leading shows 



490 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

for several years, tliey both were of great scale, 
and they both lived to good old ages. It would 
certainly appear that they were possessed of great 
constitutional vigor. 

Another Outcross Failed. — Another attempt at an 
outcross through the sire was made in the purchase 
of Mark Hanna 74230 at the close of his show career 
at Chicago in 1901. This bull had an infusion of 
the blood of Anxiety 4th and it was hoped that he s 
might prove a satisfactory sire in the herd. In 
this the buyers were sorely disappointed and Mark 
Hanna soon went the way of others to the butcher. 
This was the last attempt to get an outcross in the 
herd through the sire. Efforts were continually 
made to get in fresh blood through cows which had 
been purchased from other herds, but in the main < 
the blood of Anxiety 4th through his descendants ; 
has been steadily concentrated, with no perceptibly 
bad results.* 

Parallel Cases of Close Breeding. — It thus appears 
that we see repeated in this case the experience of 
the greatest of modern breeders of Shorthorns, the 
late Amos Cruickshank of Sittyton, Aberdeenshire, 
Scotland. Those who are familiar with the story 
will find in Champion of England and Anxiety 4th 
parallel cases. In his later years Mr. Cruickshank 
had the same experience as did Messrs. Gudgell & 
Simpson in trying to find a way to successfully in- 

*James R. Gudg-ell of this firm died on June 2, 1S96, and T. A. 
Simpson on Jan. 4, 1904. The herd is now owned and operated 
by Charles Gudgell, the original Hereford man of the firm, as- 
sisted by his son Frank O. Gudgell. , 

i 



OTHER MAKERS OF WESTERN CATTLE HISTORY 491 

troduce fresh blood after a long course of close 
breeding, finally giving it up. His herd continued 
to produce great cattle, in spite of this fact, long 
after the supposed need of fresh blood had been the 
subject of general comment. 

The fact is, that the history of beef cattle breed- 
ing seems to show that while most great successes 
have been made through a concentration of the 
blood of some animal or animals distinguished for 
desirable characteristics, yet after the policy of 
breeding In-and-in has progressed to a certain point 
it becomes difficult, if not wholly impossible, to 
throw in fresh blood without doing more harm than 
good. And also, if great care and judgment are 
used in mating, the close breeding of good animals 
can be pursued without evil results for a much 
longer period than has commonly been deemed pos- 
sible. On the contrary, the case of the gradual ex- 
tinction and wretched deterioration shown by the 
last of the so-called "pure Bates" Shorthorns 
should be a warning for all time against the breed- 
ing of cattle of indifferent merit from close affinities, 
especially in inexperienced hands. 



CHAPTER XI. 
PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED. 

Due to the great demand for Herefords in the 
northwest, and growing out of the Swan Land & Cat- 
tle Co. 's operations, there came a subsidiary corpo- 
ration, of which Alexander Swan was president and 
George Morgan general manager. It was known as 
the Wyoming Hereford Association. This company 
was formed to import and breed purebred Here- 
fords, and in March, 1883, landed for quarantine at 
Baltimore an importation of 146 head of young cat- 
tle ranging from six months to three years of age. 
The cattle were selected from the herds of J. H. Yeo- 
mans of Stretton Court, Samuel Goode of Ivington- 
bury. Green of Marlow, Crawshay of Cyfartha Cas- 
tle, Hughes of Wintercott, Haywood of Blakemere, 
Smith of Gattertop and Powell of Shenmore. 

Rudolph Bought for $3,500. — This importation 
is chiefly notable because it was headed by The 
Grove 3d's famous son Rudolph 13478, bred by 
Philip Turner, and like most of the other Grove 3d 
bulls that attained fame out of a Spartan dam — the 
cow Primrose 2d, afterwards imported to America 
by George Leigh.* Rudolph was beyond doubt the 



*Mr. Leigh bought Primrose 2d at The Leen sale in September, 
1883. She was tlien due to calve to The Grove 3d and was knocked 
down at 170 guineas. As she was near to her calving it was deemed 

492 



PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 493 

best young bull of the breed in England in 1882, and 
various American buyers had their eyes on him. He 
was owned by Allen Hughes. Tom Clark was one of 
the American breeders who had in vain tried to buy 
the bull for "the States." Mr. Hughes was for 
years one of the best fitters in Herefordshire, and 
had Rudolph in training for Royal honors long be- 
fore show time. Clark saw the bull prior to the ex- 
hibition and did his best during a somewhat memor- 
able night session at the Royal Oak in Leominster 
to get a price upon him, delivered after the show. 
He had Alfred Edwards, the auctioneer, and others 
helping to put the trade through, but Hughes was 
not to be managed that way, nor in any other just 
then. Mr. Culbertson was at this time trying to buy 
The Grove 3d from Mr. Turner privately, but in 
that was not successful. George Morgan, some 
months later, offered the then unheard of price of 
700 guineas ($3,500) for Rudolph and at that record 
figure bought him for the American company. This 
was 100 guineas more than Mr. Earl had paid for 
Sir Bartle Frere and Garfield. 

Rudolph — surnamed ''the mighty" — was the 
reigning sensation of the west at the shows of 1883, 
making a greater impression than any bull of the 

inadvisable to ship tier at the time. Mr. John Price then owned the 
noted bull Monarch, by Lord Wilton, for which he is said to have re- 
fused $5,000, and as a favor he allowed Mr. Leigh to breed Primrose 
2d to him. She was then brou.^ht to America with her heifer calf at 
foot, and placed in a combination sale at Kansas City with a reserve 
bid of $1,500, at which upset price she was bought by George Morgan 
for the Wyoming association. She produced a bull calf to the service 
•by Monarch that was called (Rudolph 2d, and was used by the asso- 
ciation for several years. He was said to have been an extra good 
one and a great breeder. The heifer calf which Primrose 2d had by 
Grove 3d was reserved by Mr. Leigh and grew into a wonderful cow, 
but unfortunately she failed to breed. 



494 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

breed since Anxiety first appeared. Offers of $5,000 
were refused for liim. It is doubtful if a more at- 
tractive bull of any beef breed had ever been seen in 
American showyards. Morgan had placed him in 
capable hands for feeding at Camargo, 111., after 
release from quarantine, and when the bull put 
in his appearance in September at the Illinois 
and Iowa state fairs and held his memorable 
court at "the great St. Louis" round-up it was con- 
ceded that any breed that could produce Anxiety and 
"repeat" with Eudolph was no longer to be held in 
scorn. While the whole western cattle-breeding 
world was still resounding with his praises the bull 
was shipped to Cheyenne. He was exhibited at Den- 
ver in 1884 at a weight of 2,600 pounds. The range 
fell at his feet as had the cornbelt the previous fall, 
but alas, as in the case of Anxiety, the plaudits of 
the people were gained at a heavy cost. He died in 
May, 1885, after a 55-pound tumor had been removed 
from his breast. He had not proved specially suc- 
cessful as a sire. His opportunities were limited, 
but he lacked somewhat in masculinity about the 
head. 

The Grove 3d Imported. — The purchase of Ru- 
dolph at a record price and his presence in the west 
during the summer of 1883 stimulated the already 
keen interest in Mr. Turner's famous son of Horace, 
and Mr. Culbertson decided to renew his effort to 
secure him for breeding purposes at Hereford Park. 
The bill was included in the sale of September, 1883, 
at The Leen, as referred to in a preceding chapter. 



496 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Altliongh then about nine years old lie was in thrifty 
condition and it was fair to assume that he was good 
for some years' service, especially since his sire, 
which he so greatly resembled, had lived to be use- 
ful up to his sixteenth year. The bidding was 
started by George Leigh at 200 guineas, and went 
briskly along well above that tigure, the opposition 
being exhausted only when 810 guineas were offered, 
at which new record price the rare old bull became 
Mr. Culbertson's property. English breeders after- 
wards offered to take him over at the American bid, 
but he was not for sale at any price. 

Along with "Old Grove," as he was familiarly 
known, came six of his daughters, four heifers and 
one bull calf by Horace, including the last two calves 
sired by that Inill, and a pair of Merry Monarch 
heifers. The importation was safely landed at Que- 
bec in care of Mr. Charles Culbertson, Jr., late in 
September, and after the usual quarantine the cattle 
were forwarded to their new home in Illinois. 

About this same date a quartette of The Grove 3d 
heifers that had won in England the Hereford Herd 
Book Association prize for best four calved in 1881 
the get of one bull — Hawthorne, Beatrice, Rosina 
and Ethel — were imported by George Leigh, sold to 
Mr. Culbertson, and by him resold shortly afterward 
to Mr. Parmelee. 

A Rare Feeder's Type. — The Grove 3d was re- 
markable for his easy-keeping, mellow-handling 
qualities, and seemed to combine the substance 
and vigor of the old-time Hereford with the quick- 



i 



PERIOD or BIG LMPORTS CONCLUDED 407 

feeding, early-maturing quality so essential in meet- 
ing the demands of our latter-day beef-makers. His 
get were noted for the rapidity with which they 
ripened in response to liberal treatment. Unfor- 
tunately he did not leave a numerous progeny in 
America. 

The Grove 3d was used by Mr. Culbertson for a 
time and then was sold to Earl & Stuart. Apparent- 
ly the service in these two herds did not meet with 
that extraordinary degree of success which attended 
it in the hands of Philip Turner. Possibly this is 
partially accounted for by the fact that unlike the 
conditions attending his use in Herefordshire the 
cows with which he was mated in the west repre- 
sented many and various blood combinations. 

Advantages in Old-Established Herds. — It has 
already been noted that the Stocktonbury herd up- 
on which Lord Wilton (and Anxiety, with a much 
more restricted opportunity) was crossed with such 
phenomenal results was quite homogeneous in point 
of constituent ])lood elements. There were Longhorns 
or Rodney, DeCote, and Heart of Oak for the top 
crosses in nearly every dam of a great son or daugh- 
ter of Lord Wilton. At The Leen there were the 
numerous Spartan dams that seemed to respond al- 
most infallibly to the blood of The Grove 3d, and in 
their back-breeding the Turner cows had much in 
common. The more modern instance of the Gudgell 
& Simpson cattle in America affords further cor- 
I roboration of the idea that most of the great suc- 
cesses in beef cattle breeding have been attained af- 



498 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ter the breeding cows have been brought to a more 
or less common standard or "denomination" by a 
persistent retention of the best females produced in 
the herd through a long series of years, until all ul- 
timately carry a large percentage of the same blood, 

Benjamin Hershey. — Prominent in the trade for 
a number of years was Benjamin Hershey, a wealthy 
lumberman owning a large farm near Muscatine, la., 
and a ranch in Nebraska. One of his first invest- 
ments was the purchase of 30 young bulls from 
T. L. Miller for $10,000. He was a liberal buyer 
from Miller, Culbertson and other early breeders 
and importers, and subsequently brought out cattle 
on his own account from England direct. He bought 
75 head of English-bred cattle on one order, prob- 
ably the best of these being the cow Lady, of John 
Price 's breeding and by Truro. Mr. Hershey was an 
enthusiastic supporter of the claims of the "white 
faces," and contributed a quartette of Herefords to 
the famous showyard "syndicate" of 1882 which 
were bought by Mr. C. K. Parmelee during the La- 
faj^ette fair for over $3,000. He died in Chicago on 
Aug. 23, 1893, and his herd was closed out the fol- 
lowing October, 

Hon. M. H. Cochrane. — The late Senator Coch- 
rane, of Hillhurst, Province of Quebec, Canada, at 
one time figured largely in the Shorthorn importing 
and exporting trade, his operations in both Bates 
and Booth-bred cattle being conducted on a liberal 
scale and at prices attracting the attention of both 
continents. 



I 



I 




BENJAMIN HERSHEY. 



500 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTIiE 

About 1880 when the west began to show such 
keen interest in the Herefords, and a little later 
when the Aberdeen- Angus began their cami)aign for 
popular favor in America, Mr. Cochrane imported 
large numbers of both breeds. While the date above 
mentioned marked the beginning of his active inter- 
est in Herefords, he had bought a few "white faces" 
from Frederick William Stone in the '60 's, and he 
was the breeder of the cow Necklace 4th 1519, which 
was sold to G. E. Shores of Waterville, Me., and 
produced in the latter 's hands the cow Empress 
2078, Empress was sold to J. S. Hawes and became 
the mother of the great show bull Fortune 2080, 
by Sir Richard 2d. The Hillhurst shipment from 
England in 1880 included 49 head selected from the 
fine old Chadnor Court stock and from the herds of 
Morris of Lulham, Hill of Felhampton Court, 
Arkwright of Hampton Court, and Yeomans of 
Stretton Court. Among them was also the two- 
year-old prize bull President 8140, bred by Mrs. 
Edwards at Wintercott and sired by Royalist 2336 
out of Plum 3d by Commander 3209. 

In 1881 Mr. Cochrane personally selected a second 
lot, including some good cows and heifers of the 
fine old Rarity, Delight and Lovely strains from the 
Longner Hall sale by the executors of the estate of 
R. L. Burton. Mr. John Hill of Felhampton Court 
writing of the presence of Mr. Cochrane as a buyer 
in Herefordshire at that time said : 

''Very considerable interest has centered in tlie 
sale of the Longner Herefords, and extensive pur- 




Hon. 7n. H. Coch rane^ 



502 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

chases were made by the Earl of Coventry, Mr. 
Cochrane, and for the Felhampton Court herd. It 
is not too much to say that on the morning following 
the sale the value of the animals had doubled, and 
breeders became alive to what was to come. Not 
only does this statement refer to the Cronkhill Here- 
fords, but through them to the breed in general. It 
was this sale which fairly set the ball rolling and it 
was recognized that Mr. Cochrane, the famous 
breeder of Shorthorns, would not have come to Eng- 
land to make personal selections of Herefords unless 
there was something in the minds of men on the 
other side of the Atlantic which had convinced them 
of the truth of what Mr. Miller and others had been 
for several years previously endeavoring to prove, 
viz., that the 'white faces' of Herefordshire would 
increase the prosperity of the cattlemen of Amer- 
ica. ' ' 

It was about this date (1881) that Mr. Cochrane 
established his Bow River ranch in the Canadian 
northwest. The cattle were removed in 1884 to an- 
other and more southerly range in the Kootenay 
River country, where a herd largely of Hereford 
breeding was maintained for some twenty years, 
the impress of the early Hereford importations be- 
ing evident throughout the entire period. 

In 1883 the Senator's son, Mr. James A. Coch- 
rane, who was closely identified with his father in 
the Hillhurst management, bought 40 head, which 
were shipped from Liverpool on Feb. 8, arriving at 
Halifax the first week in March. This lot included 
the bull Cassio 11353, then two years old, bred by 
Philip Turner and got by The Grove 3d out of 



504 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Duchess 2d by Spartan. Ten Lord Wilton heifers 
were also secured from Mr. Carwardine. Others 
were by The Grove 3d, Regulus, Mr. Hill's Merry 
Monarch, Pirate, Osman Pasha, Old Court and Bred- 
wardine. 

Will Hutcheon and Cassio. — William Hutch- 
eon, afterwards with William S. VanNatta and later 
in partnership with John Steward in breeding 
Herefords in Missouri, was at Hillhurst at this time 
and fitted Cassio and a number of his daughters for 
exhibition at leading Canadian shows. For several 
seasons they were features of the great Dominion 
cattle competitions. In fact, Cassio was for some 
years one of the real stars of the breed in North 
America, emphasizing in his showyard career and as 
a stock-getter the early-ripening quality of The 
Grove 3d blood. He has been referred to as "the 
best bull of any beef breed ever shown at Toronto.'' 
That of course is drawing rather a long bow, for 
the Industrial Exposition has staged many grand ex- 
hibitions where great show bulls have been much in 
evidence. However, viewed in the light of Cassio 's 
get in Senator Cochrane 's herd, it must be recorded 
that he was one of the most valuable bulls of his 
period on this side of the water. 

In 1891 Mr. Francis Green, writing of Cassio in 
the "Canadian Live Stock Journal" after a visit to 
Hillhurst, said : 

"In- the next box was the .celebrated Cassio 
(5849), too well known to need any description. It 
will suffice to say that he has lost none of his won- 



PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 505 

derful smoothnesSj and time apparently passes him 
by with a light hand. The wonderful manner in 
which he has stood the strain of repeated show prep- 
aration speaks volumes for his constitution, and he 
appears none the worse for it, but is still active on 
his legs. He commenced his showyard career when a 
yearling at Leominster, England, where he was suc- 
cessful in gaining first in 1882. After coming to 
this country he won first and sweepstakes at the 
Eastern Townships' Exhibition, and the gold medal 
for the best bull of any age and breed. In 1886 he 
was awarded the same honors, and in 1887 he was 
brought to the Industrial and Ottawa, at both of 
which places he was again first and sweepstakes bull 
of any age, and from that time forth he has occu- 
pied the same position wherever exhibited. But this 
is not all, for in 1885 he headed the herd that won 
the Lieutenant-Governor's medal for the best herd 
of any breed at the Eastern Townships' Show, and 
from that time Cassio and the ladies of his seraglio 
have had an unbroken chain of victories when com- 
peting for the herd prize at all our principal shows. 
We often find that a show bull is not always a suc- 
cess as a sire, but such is not the case with Cassio, 
facile princeps in either capacity ; his scions con- 
stantly keep coming to the front, and are remarkable 
for their quality and the neat heads and horns which 
are now so fancied in the showring. His merit as a 
sire was sufficiently conspicuous during the last show 
season, when he and his daughters walked away with 
the herd prizes at the Industrial and all other 
shows." 

Mr. Cochrane 's Dominion market was limited, so 
lie adopted the plan of sellrng at auction in the United 
States. In Noveml)er, 1882, at Chicago he disposed 
of 31 head at an average of $357, not considered a 



506 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

particularly successful sale for imported animals. 
Seabury & Sample bought the Wilton bull Sir Harry 
at $540. In 1883 nineteen head were sold at the 
Exposition Building, Chicago, during the Fat Stock 
Show, for an average of $580, Benjamin Hershey 
paying $1,000 for Tulip 3d and $1,200 for Lily 2d. 
At the Chadnor Court sale in England in September, 
1883, Mr. Cochrane paid 260 guineas for Eosebloom 
by Sir Isaac. In January, 1884, another lot, bought 
by Mr. Urwick, came out from England. Included 
among these was Sir Evelyn, an own brother to Sir 
Bartle Frere ; at the Hillhurst sale in April he sold 
for $825, going into the herd of J. S. Hawes. An- 
other lot, consisting of 17 heifers, was brought out 
in 1885. 

Mr. Cochrane had three breeds of cattle at Hill- 
hurst at one time. A note written by the author 
after a visit to the farm during this period reads as 
follows : 

''A day in the saddle at Hillhurst, Hon. M. H. 
Cochrane 's famous estate near Compton, Canada, is 
a treat which will rouse the enthusiasm of the dull- 
est admirer of fine cattle. From a point in one of 
the pastures, 1,100 feet above sea level, a landscape 
of rare beauty unfolds itself to the eye of the ob- 
server. The Green Mountains on the southern hori- 
zon, the hills about Lake Memphremagog on the 
west, the beautiful valley of the Coaticooke at one's 
feet, and the undulating fields of Hillhurst with their 
herds of white faces, blacks, and Shorthorns round 
about, will impress the visitor as a scene most fitting 
to be graced by the presence of all that is perfect in 
the way of bovine beauty. ' ' 



PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 507 

The Hillhurst importing operations, involving 
sales in the States in competition with home breed- 
ers and importers, naturally did not arouse much 
support from * ' the trade. ' ' In fact, many of the best 
of Mr. Cochrane 's cattle were permitted to sell below 
their real value because it was obviously not the pur- 
pose of western breeders to encourage speculation 
in Herefords via the Canadian route. 

The Leigh and Curry Importations. — Mr. 
George Leigh, of Aurora, 111., partly in association 
with Mr. J. 0. Curry of that place, imported be- 
tween the years of 1881 and 1885, 250 head of Here- 
fords. There were twelve importations in all, includ- 
ing many animals that had illustrious careers in the 
west and from which many valuable cattle descended. 

The Grove 3d Quartette. — In Mr. Leigh 's shipment 
ment of 1882 were the four The Grove 3d heifers, 
Beatrice, Hawthorn, Ethel, and Eosina, winners at 
Leominster in 1881. These were sold in quarantine 
at Quebec in 1882 to Mr. Culbertson at $600 each. 
They were placed on exhibition at the old Fat Stock 
Show that fall where they were the objects of uni- 
versal admiration. Mr. Parmelee, who was at that 
time a collector of rare specimens of the breed, took 
them from Mr. Culbertson at $1,000 each. In later 
years Beatrice, Hawthorn, and Ethel drifted back 
to Aurora, finally becoming the property of T. F. B. 
Sotham. Beatrice and Hawthorn became famous 
producers, and the former was still breeding in 
1900 at the age of twenty years, among her progeny 
being the champion bull Sir Bredwell, by Corrector, 



ii 



508 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

to be mentioned again. In Sotham's possession an 
interesting result of blood concentration was devel- 
oped through the medium of Hawthorn. Mated to 
Dr. Grove, by Royal Grove, she became the dam of 
2d Beaubois Purity that produced to the cover of 
Corrector such cattle as Protection, Protector and 
Lady Plushcoat. 

About the same time that these four The Grove 
3d heifers were sold to Mr. Culbertson Mr. Leigh 
made a sale to Mr. VanNatta of the four fine im- 
ported heifers Daisy, Border Queen, Sunbeam, and 
Country Cousin, all bred by William Tudge. Speak- 
ing of these Mr. Leigh says: "Li my judgment no- 
body ever had, from a breeding point of view, four 
better ones. They had immense size, were full of 
quality and had beautiful character." They cost 
Mr. VanNatta $600 per head, and contributed a val- 
uable element to his herd. 

Carwardine Cows. — In 1883 Mr. Leigh was a 
liberal buyer at Carwardine 's dispersion, securing 
20 head at a cost of over $10,000. Most of these 
were sold shortly after importation. Mr. H. H. 
Clough of Elyria, 0., who was engaged in founding 
a herd at that old-time American center of Here- 
ford activity and who afterwards became promi- 
nent in the trade, took Henrietta 3d and Lady Love 
that had cost 430 guineas in England. Mr. J. C. 
Bertram of Aurora, 111., another of those who were 
now becoming interested in Hereford breeding, 
bought the promising young Wilton bull Sir Wil- 
fred, which he exhibited successfully. 




GEORGE LEIGH. 



510 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Some of Mr. Carwardine's most valuable breed- 
ing cows were brought over by Mr. Leigh. A num- 
ber of these rare old matrons went into J. 0. Cur- 
ry 's hands, and some of the best of them were after- 
wards bought by Thomas F. B. Sotham, son of Wil- 
liam H. Sotham, who was then laying the founda- 
tions of the Weavergrace herd at Chillicothe, Mo. 
Among these great English producing dams 
brought over by Mr. Leigh were such famous cows 
as the following: Delight, the dam of Peerless, Au- 
rora Wilton and Delight 2d ; Bertha, the dam of the 
valuable Beau Eeal bull Kansas Lad; Gwenny, 
champion over all breeds at Minneapolis in 1886; 
Gay Lass 9905, the dam of Anxiety 4th ; and Stock- 
tonbury's favorite breeding matron Coral, the dam 
of the $5,000 bull Franklin, which was exported to 
Argentina, and also the dam of Conqueror, bought 
for the Ontario Agricultural Experiment Station 
for $2,500, and of Corrector, a bull that Mr. Sotham 
made famous in the west. Judy Wilton by Lord 
Wilton and Ruffie 3d by Chancellor, he a Royal win- 
ner by Horace, also came out in 1883. 

In 1883 Mr. Leigh brought out the dam of Ru- 
dolph and an own sister to that famous show bull; 
also the good bull Pirate 7161, by Corsair of Tur- 
ner's breeding, that had won numerous prizes in 
England in 1880 and 1881. He was sold to Mr. 
Curry. 

Archibald. — Mr. Leigh was a keen buyer of 
tops at this time, and in 1884 brought out at a re- 
ported purchase price of 1,000 guineas the show bull 



I 



PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 511 



Archibald 11129, bred by Aaron Rogers. This bull 
had a long list of prizes won at leading English 
shows to his credit, and was widely heralded as a 
sensational animal, which indeed he was. It was 
claimed, in fact, that he was the winner of more 
first and championship honors than any other bull 
of his age living at that time. In some respects he 
was extraordinary. He had been highly fed for 
the shows as a two-year-old and he developed ab- 
normal depth forward. Indeed, as he grew to ma- 
turity his brisket touched the ground. He was not 
shown in this country and was sold to Mr. Parmelee, 
in whose hands he died of a cancerous growth in 
the breast. As a sire Archibald was more or less 
I disappointing. He did not leave a numerous prog- 
;€ny and while some of these fed into thick car- 
casses and were successfully shown, as a rule his 
(get were wanting in quality and inclined to harsh- 
'|Qess in touch. However, in the second generation 
they made some remarkable records. There was 
^iiis daughter Brenda 15th, for example. Mated by 
yir. Sotham with Corrector she produced Benita, 
nother of the beautiful show heifer Benison. 

Horace 5th. — An exceptionally valuable pros- 
pect brought to America by Mr. Leigh was Horace 
'»th 12524, bred by Frederick Piatt and sired by old 
lorace. He was much admired by that experienced 
udge, Mr. William S. VanNatta, who leased the 
lull for a short term and bred about twenty cows 
him. The resulting calves were a useful lot and 
he blood thus introduced was doubtless something 



512 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of a factor in the success of the extensive Fowler 
& VanNatta breeding operations. The bull was then 
sold for $3,000 to go to western Kansas. He was 
loaded for shipment on a bad blustery night late in 
the fall against Mr. Leigh's wishes, and caught cold 
and died soon after reaching his destination. 

Royal Grove. — Mr. Curry acquired many valu- 
able cattle during the years in which he was en- 
gaged in breeding and exhibiting Herefords. Hav- 
ing sold Archibald and having lost Pirate, he im- 
ported in 1886 the grand young bull Royal Grove 
21500, by The Grove 3d and out of a Spartan dam, 
one of the most promising sons of his great sire, an 
own brother to Mr. Cochrane 's Cassio and without 
doubt one of the best young bulls ever imported. 
He was considered a great bargain at the 200 
guineas paid for him in England and $3,000 were 
refused for him after his landing in America. He 
was shown at the fairs of 1886 and was an easy win- 
ner, heading the championship herd over all beef 
breeds at Minneapolis. His death shortly after im- 
portation was a serious loss to Mr. Curry as well 
as to the breed in this country, and added still an- 
other to the long list of English-bred show bulls 
not long surviving importation. Bred to that mar- 
velous old mother of monarchs. Gay Lass, Royal 
Grove begot Gaiety Grove, a cow that produced in 
Mr. Sotham's herds successful show cattle such as 
Grace and Sir Come well, both by Corrector. 

J. R. Price & Son. — Mr. Price, although born 
in the state of Ohio in 1835, was distantly related 




Ned Price 



514 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

to John Price of Court House, Herefordshire. In 
conjunction with his son "Ned" he engaged in the 
breeding, importation and exhibition of Herefords 
and in the early '80 's brought out from England 
132 head of cattle in connection with the firm of 
Finch, Lord & Nelson of Burlingame, Kans. Many 
of these bulls were taken by Charles Goodnight to 
the Texas Panhandle, where they were so success- 
fully crossed upon the JA cows as to attract the im- 
mediate attention of all the great range outfits in 
that region. 

During the years 1884 and 1885 the Messrs. Price 
won upwards of 100 prizes at leading cornbelt fairs 
and fat stock shows. One of their best breeding 
bulls was Regulus 2d (6089), bred by John Price 
and imported by Mr. Culbertson. He was sired by 
Regulus 3849, son of Sir Roger by Sir Thomas. 
This bull sired among other fine cattle the steer 
Regulus, champion of the Chicago Fat Stock Show 
of 1885, fed and shown by Mr. VanNatta. Regulus 
2d was sold to Nathan Hussey for $1,500. Prob- 
ably the most noted female of the Price herd was 
Miss Frere, a daughter of Sir Bartle Frere, that 
was bought at Carwardine's dispersion sale. 

The Iowa Hereford Cattle Company. — This 
was an English exporting venture capitalized at 
£30,000. An Anglo-American enterprise of which 
the late Henry E. Yeomans was manager at Indian- 
ola, la., it represented an effort on the part of sev 
eral Englishmen to engage in the direct shpiment 
and sale of Herefordshire cattle to the western 



PERIOD OP BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 515 

United States. Mr. John H. Yeomans of Stretton 
Court was the home representative of the company, 
and his brother ' ' Harry, ' ' as above stated, handled 
the American end of the business. Mr. A. H. Swan 
was also interested in the venture. 

The company entered the trade near its flood tide 
■ and sent out some high-class cattle, including the 
show bulls Washington 22615 and Sergeant Major 
22611, both bred by Allen Hughes of Wintercott 
and both sired by Rudolph 13478. These bulls were 
popular winners at the big mid-west shows of 1885, 
the great contest of the year being the hard battle 
between the two-year-olds at the Illinois State Fair 
at Chicago, when Sergeant Major, a bull of fine 
promise, met and defeated Fowler, Broadbreast and 
Bowdoin. Long prices were refused for Sergeant 
Major, but he died in 1886. Washington, although 
a great winner for several seasons at the head of 
the company's show herds, was not specially suc- 
cessful as a sire. He was out of Plum 3d, the cow 
that produced Mr. Arkwright's Iroquois (6111) and 
Mr. Cochrane 's bull President. The company did 
not meet with financial success, being caught in the 
downward swing of values that set in as it was get- 
ting fairly under way. 

Cook of Odebolt.— Mr. C. W. Cook, a large 
operator in real estate in Chicago and owner of the 
great 7,000-acre farm of Brookmont near Odebolt, 
la., imported more Herefords into the United 
States during the boom period of the '80 's than any 
of his contemporaries. He is credited with bringing 



516 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

over 330 head. He did not undertake as a rule, 
however, the purchase of show cattle or those in 
special demand by reason of fashionable breeding. 
In fact, in some cases his importations included 
cattle which, while doubtless of well established 
Hereford breeding, did not measure up to the strict 
American rules governing pedigree registration of 
English-bred Herefords. These were comparative- 
ly few in number, however. 

In 1885 the herd numbered 500 head and was 
claimed to be the largest collection of purebred 
Herefords in the world at that date. While these 
importations did not figure conspicuously in the 
American sale and showyard records of the period 
under review, they enjoyed a wide distribution 
among farmers and ranchmen. Mr. Cook, Sr., was 
succeeded in the ownership of this great Iowa prop- 
erty by his son, Mr. A. E. Cook, and the herd was 
not finally closed out until 1914. 

The Full List of Importers of this Period.^ 
Space admonishes that we must now bring this por- 
tion of our story to a close. We should like to enter 
into details regarding the operations of a number 
of other firms, corporations and individuals that 
figured conspicuously in the annals of the period, 
but there is so much yet ahead that we shall, for the 
present, conclude these notes on importations by 
appending some interesting statistics now present- 
ed for the first time. In the tabulation the full list 
of those who participated in these shipments is set 
forth. 



PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 517 

At our request Mr. R. J. Kinzer, Secretary of the 
American Hereford Breeders' Association, Kansas 
City, Mo., lias compiled a list of all the Herefords 
imported from Great Britain into the United States 
between the years 1848 and 1886 inclusive, in so far 
as is shown by the records of the association. It 
will be understood that these figures merely repre- 
sent cattle the pedigrees of which were sent for reg- 
istry in the herd book, and do not include many of 
those imported in the ante-herd book days. Fur- 
thermore, it is probable that at different periods ad- 
ditional cattle were brought in that were either 
ineligible to record or whose pedigrees were lost be- 
fore registration in this country was commenced. 

Many different estimates have been made as to 
the number of cattle transferred from Hereford- 
shire to the States during the boom days of the 
early '80 's. ''Bell's Messenger," one of the lead- 
ing agricultural papers of Great Britain at that 
time, estimated in 1884 that during the five years 
preceding that date there had been exported to the 
United States between 3,900 and 4,000 head. It will 
be observed that this estimate approximates the 
total number recorded on this side the water as 
shown by the subjoined tabulation, which we have 
arranged in the order of the number of animals im- 
ported by the respective firms, corporations and 
individuals included. It will be observed that the 
heaviest importations centered in the territory west 
of the Mississippi River, the headquarters for the 
two largest operators being in the state of Iowa. 



518 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mr. Cook, the Messrs. Yeomans and their colleagues 
and Geo. Morgan led the trade in point of activity 
during the period under consideration. 

IMPORTATIONS OF HEREFORD CATTLE TO THE UNITED 
STATES FROM ENGLAND BETWEEN 1848 AND 1886. 

Number 
Importer Address of Cattle 

C. W. Cook & Son Odebolt, la 330 

Iowa Hereford Cattle Co Indianola, la 253 

George Leigh & Co Aurora, 111 250 

Wyoming Hereford Association Cheyenne, Wyo 225 

Indiana Blooded Stock Co Indianapolis, Ind 208 

Earl & Stuart Lafayette, Ind 190 

T. L. Miller Co Beecher, 111 170 

J. R. Price Williamsville, 111 132 

Gudgell & Simpson Independence, Mo 130 

Fowler & VanNatta Fowler, Ind 125 

C. M. Culbertson Newman, 111 100 

J. O. Curry Aurora, 111 100 

T. J. Lewis Beecher, 111 97 

Burleigh & Bodwell Vassalboro, Me 95 

J. C. Bertram Bristol, 111 87 

Shockey & Gibb Lawrence, Kans 80 

B. Hershey Muscatine, la 73 

G. A. Fowler & Co St. Marys, Kans 60 

G. W. Henry Chicago, 111 50 

Thomas Pouting Moweaqua, 111 50 

F. W. Smith Columbia. Mo 42 

Clough Bros Elyria, 40 

Ford & Drimmie Earlham, la 35 

G. E. Hunton Abilene, Kans 31 

Merrill & Fifield Bay City, Mich 30 

Foster & Pearsall Flint, Mich 28 

John Borland Stanton, Nebr 27 

G. N. Blossom Kansas Citv, Mo 25 

F. H. Johnson & Co South Bend, Ind 25 

Fletcher, Holt & Co Indianapolis, Ind 23 

J. G. Lindon Clear Lake, la 23 

Henry Horn Du Quoin, 111 22 

Berrow Bros Sheldahl, la 21 

A. C, iReed Chicago, 111 21 

Scott & Co Halleck, Nev 21 

H. E. Yeomans Indianola, la 20 

Seabury & Sample Lafayette, Ind 20 

Estill & Elliott Estill, Mo 20 

L. B. Harris Lyndon Center, Vt 17 

Downing & Greatrex Woodlandvillo, Mo 17 

John V. Farwell Chicago, 111 16 

Swan Bros Cheyenne, Wyo 16 

Swan, Boslev Land & Cattle Co Indianola, la 16 

G. W. Probert Pittsfleld, 111 15 

William Powell Beecher, 111 15 

G. N. Bissell Milford, N. Y 15 

G. N. Sprague Berlin Heights. 14 

P. J. Paulv & Son E.stes Park, Colo 14 

Charles Frith Milan, 13 

Missouri Land & Live Stock Co Neosho, Mo 13 

L. R. Hastings Essex, la 12 

J. A. Perry Wilmington, 111 12 

J. M. Studebaker South Bend, Ind 11 

J. S. Hawes Colon v, Kans 11 

Dr. O. Bush Sheldon, 111 10 

C. H. Clark Eldora, la 10 



PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 519 

Number 

Importer Address of Cattle 

Esson Bros Peotone, 111 10 

A. D. Hudnall Las Animas, Colo 10 

Mlllikin Bros Youngstown, 10 

C. K. Parmelee Des Plaines, 111 10 

B. Fowler Chicago, 111 8 

Allen Gregory Chicago, 111 8 

E. M. Price Rocheport, Mo 8 

W. Richardson Wauseon, 8 

George F. Baker Stonington, III 7 

W. E. Campbell Caldwell, Kans 7 

William Constable Beecher, 111 7 

William Hamilton Flint, Mich 7 

J. L. Northrup Westfleld, N. Y 7 

C. H. Rollins Chicago, 111 7 

Chris Wollenberg Beecher, 111 6 

F. D. Pierce Wakeman, 6 

A. D. Gifford Loveland, Colo 6 

William & Henry Creed Youngstown, O. 6 

W. A. Bright Columbia, Mo 5 

A. A. Crane Osco, 111 5 

Alexander Mofflt Mechanicsville, la 5 

Joab Mulvane Topeka, Kans 5 

Henry Yeld Stanton, Nebr 5 

Thomas Clark Beecher, 111 5 

A. N. Cochrane & Bros Westfleld, N. Y 3 

G. A. Lord Denver, Colo 3 

W. M. Morgan & Son Irving, Kans 3 

Total 3,703 

Commenting upon the above Secretary Kinzer 
says: "As nearly as we can estimate, there were 
probably not to exceed 200 head of cattle imported 
into the States before 1880. Figuring on this basis 
this would leave something like 3,550 head imported 
between 1880 and 1889." 

In connection with a subsequent chapter the fig- 
ures covering the importation of Herefords into the 
United States from the year 1893 up to date will be 
presented. 

Cattle Imported to Canada. — Supplementary 
to the above list of importations into the United 
States Mr. Kinzer has also kindly compiled for us 
the following ta1)le showing the number of Here- 
fords imported by Canadian breeders from the ear- 
' liest period down to the year 1904, in so far as such 



520 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

importations have been recorded in the American 
Hereford Record ; 

Number 

Importer Address of Cattle 

W. T. Benson Cardinal, Ont, Can 10 

C. C. Bridges Shanty Bay, Ont., Can 12 

M. H. Cochrane Hillhurst, Can 74 

A. B. Cushing Dix, Can 14 

Dawes & Co Lacine, Can 32 

S. W. Dearborn Oshawa, Ont., Can 3 

L. G. Drew Oshawa, Ont., Can 14 

F. A. Fleming. Weston, Ont., Can 37 

W. B. Ives Sherbrook, Can 30 

E. W. Judah Hillhurst, Can 10 

R. J. Mackie Oshawa, Ont., Can 20 

R. H. Pope Crookshire, Can 15 

James Sharman & Sj.is Stratford, Can 12 

D. A. Smith Silver Heights, Man., Can. . . 8 

F. "W. Stone Guelph, Ont., Can 50 

W. M. Vernon Waterville, Can 11 

W. H. & H. A. Hunter (in 1899) The Maples, Ont., Can 6 

Ontario Agriculture College (in 1901) Guelph, Ont., Can 2 

R. J. Penhall (in 1902) Villa Nova, Ont.. Can 6 

Ontario Agricultural Col. (in 1904) ... Guelph, Ont., Can 2 

Total 368 

The Herd Book Bought from Mr. Miller.— 

While the American Hereford Cattle Breeders' As- 
sociation was organized at the Grand Pacific Hotel, 
Chicago, on June 22, 1881, with Mr. C. M. Culbert- 
son. President, Mr. T. E. Miller (son of T. L. Mil- 
ler), Secretary, and Mr. Adams Earl, Treasurer, it 
was not until February, 1883, that arrangements 
were made for taking over the control of the herd 
book from Mr. Miller and his associates. The orig- 
inal charter was taken out over the signatures of C. 
M. Culbertson, William S. VanNatta, Charles B. 
Stuart, Oilman S. Burleigh and T. L. Miller. Vol- 
umes 1 and 2 of the herd book, issued respectively 
in 1881 and 1882, were practically published pri- 
vately by Mr. Miller, although nominally issued 
from the press of the ''Breeders' Live Stock Asso- 
ciation," Beecher, 111. 



PERIOD OF BIG IMPORTS CONCLUDED 521 

More Stringent Rules Adopted. — At a special 
meeting of the American association held at the 
Sherman House in Chicago on Feb. 28, 1883, at 
which some forty members were present, arrange- 
aients were made for purchasing the book for the 
sum of $5,000. At this meeting the rules of entry- 
were amended in important particulars to insure 
future greater purity of blood. By this time the 
breed was in such demand, and at such strong 
prices, that there was temptation to put upon the 
market animals whose lineage could not be traced in 
all lines to satisfactory sources. Attention was 
called to the fact that the English Herd Book So- 
ciety was annually admitting to registration ani- 
mals whose ancestors in the female line had not pre- 
viously been on record. In order, therefore, to pro- 
tect American buyers from short-pedigreed cattle of 
either English or American origin it was decided, 
first, to admit all animals whose sire and dam were 
already on record in Volume 1 or Volume 2 of the 
American Herd Book, or in the first thirteen vol- 
umes of the English Herd Book, and that ''the pedi- 
grees of all animals not entitled to record in either 
of the two volumes of the American Hereford Eec- 
ord, or in the first thirteen volumes of the English 
Herd Book, under the above rule, shall, before en- 
try in future volumes of the American Hereford 
Record, show sire of recorded pedigree in either the 
English Herd Book or American Hereford Record; 
and the pedigree of the dam must include name, 
breeder, date of birth, owner, sire and dam, through 



522 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

four crosses, and shall end in the herd of a reputa- 
ble breeder in England, whose herd is of undoubted 
purity. ' ' 

In the constitution and by-laws adopted for the 
government of the association the actual control of 
the business affairs of the organization was placed 
in the hands of an executive committee of three, of 
which Mr. Charles B. Stuart was chairman for a 
long series of years, Mr. Charles Gudgell served 
for many years with Mr. Stuart upon this commit- 
tee. While there was ultimately strong objection 
to so much power being lodged in its hands all ad- 
mitted that the affairs of the organization pros- 
pered amazingly under such direction, the associa- 
tion finally becoming financially one of the strongest 
of its kind in the United States. 

At the annual meeting of the association held at 
Chicago in November, 1883, Mr. William S. Van- 
Natta was elected President, and a special commit- 
tee appointed for the purpose of raising money for 
encouraging Hereford exhibits at the Fat Stock 
Show reported that the desired amount of $2,000 
had been over-subscribed. 



CHAPTER XII . 

THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR. 

The very highest degree of excellence, indeed ap- 
proximate perfection, is required to win blue and 
purple ribbons in great open competitions. This is 
the reason why breeders always have a pride in 
tracing the descent of their cattle, if possible, from 
ancestors whose titles to superiority have been made 
clear by notable showyard victories. It may there- 
fore serve a useful purpose to take up in some detail 
the roster of great names developed by some of the 
more memorable contests that occurred during the 
years immediately following this great influx of 
Herefordshire's best blood into the western states, 
for out of this flood of importations emerged the 
herds, distributed far and wide, that have since 
made the blood practically available to all parts of 
the country upon a legitimate commercial basis. 

As we have already pointed out. Sir Charles, Suc- 
cess, Hero, and the Anxieties led the early line of 
Herefords in the great battle of the breeds that con- 
stituted so marked a feature of the western fairs 
from 1876 to the later '80 's. They were followed 
by many British showyard stars of the first magni- 
tude; but within a comparatively short space of 
I time American breeders were producing by a judi- 
cious blending of the various bloods now in their 



524 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

possession show cattle equaling, if not indeed ex- 
celling in some respects, tlie best sliowyard types 
evolved in England. 

The Great Fight of 1882.— Let us start with a 
reference to certain old-time exhibitions at impor- 
tant fairs of the cornbelt states which gave a zest to 
those events previously unknown — those foolish old 
days of "picked-up" committees and breed com- 
petitions, when the shrewdest '^wire-puller" or the 
most successful "bull-dozer" among the exhibitors 
stood a good chance of obtaining results which in 
these later times would be impossible. 

There was a time when the real battle of the 
breeds began at two important district shows in 
the state of Indiana, one at Lafayette and the other 
at Crawfordsville. Liberal money prizes were pro- 
vided for open classes at both places, and this 
chance to line up alongside the Shorthorns was 
eagerly accepted by the zealous new champions of 
the Hereford. 

At that date no American newspaper was making 
any effort to report the contests at these events in 
any detail, and noting the necessity for such a serv- 
ice the newly established "Breeder's Gazette" un- 
dertook the task, not however without serious mis- 
givings. The story of the Lafayette show of 1882, 
told in the issue of that paper for Sept. 14 of 
that year, would probably bring a broad smile to 
the seasoned reader of such reviews in these later 
days, but it nevertheless suffices to reflect clearly a 
decidedly tense situation. 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 525 

The Shortliorn colors were borne by the follow- 
ing: J. H. Potts & Son, with their Duke of Eichmond 
blood; ''Uncle Harvey" Sodowsky, as sly an old 
showman as ever set foot in a showyard, and owner 
of that great show cow Jessie Hopewell; Thomas 
Wilhoit, one of the best breeders and feeders in In- 
diana, with his famous Knight of Athelstane; 
Launcelot Palmer of Missouri, with old Loudon 
Duke of Greenwood; besides Stevenson & Son and 
Croft Bros., both of Illinois. 

The Hereford cause now no longer depended upon 
Mr. Miller, for Messrs. Culbertson, Earl & Stuart, 
Fowler & VanNatta, Thomas Clark, William Con- 
stable, C. K. Parmelee, and Benjamin Hershey had 
got their heads together during the summer months 
and resolved to go after the enemy en masse. Each 
of these fitted and sent into the Lafayette, Craw- 
fordsville, Peoria and St. Louis shows of that year 
the best of their top cattle — some 70 head in all, and 
a mighty phalanx it was. 

It does not seem to matter much just now as to 
what happened that week at Lafayette, but it cer- 
tainly had meaning enough at the time, not only to 
those who participated as exhibitors, but to the 
thousands of farmers and cattle growers in all parts 
of the country who were interested in the warfare 
being waged at these exhibitions of breeding ani- 
mals, as well as at the Chicago Fat Stock Show. 

The class judging came first. Constable won with 
Hero over Clark's Anxiety 3d and Culbertson 's Sir 
Garnet l)y The Grove 3d ; Earl & Stuart had first on 



526 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

two-year-old bull with the massive imported Royal 
16th, over Eomeo and Tregrehan ; Shadeland scored 
again on yearling bulls with Prince Edward, against 
Anxiety 4th and Anxiety 5th and others. Culbert- 
son won first in a strong class for cows with imp. 
Downton Rose, second going to Shadeland 's imp. 
Lady 3d* ; Clark won in the two-year-old heifers 
with Peerless, as against Venus ; a rare lot of year- 
ling heifers were headed by Hershey's Miss Broad- 
gauge 2d by Horatius, with Earl & Stuart's Wilton 
heifer Delight 2d as the runner-up. Prettymaid and 
Duchess 2d were unplaced in this extraordinary 
company. It will be noted that the entire outfit of 
winners was imported. 

There was no end of trouble before a committee 
was finally secured to judge the open classes. With 
the Hereford men it was '^ anything to beat the 
Shorthorns." It mattered not at all which Here- 
ford bull, cow or herd might be chosen. The only 
question was how to prevent the ''Shorthorn crowd 
from putting up a job" to beat them. There were 
nightly councils of war at the old Hotel Lahr. 
Scouts were appointed to give warning of attempted 
unfair tactics. Culbertson was in command of a 
coterie of comrades under perfect discipline. Man 
after man tendered by the society to serve as a 
juror was challenged and rejected, sometimes be- 
cause he was a cattle feeder instead of a breeder, 
and sometimes vice versa. Worn out at length by 



*Whlle this cow, Lady 3d by Horace 2d, had been shown regularly 
since a calf, she had dropped three calves by the time she was five 
years old. 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYAKD WAR 527 

the irreconcilable differences between the spokes- 
men for the rival hosts, the superintendent finally 
named a committee without reference to the wishes 
of either side, and the big fight was then waged 
with the following result : 

In the graded herd competition Potts was first, 
Culbertson second and Sodowsky third. In young 
herds Fowler & A^anNatta were first, Potts second 
and Parmelee third. Constable took the bull cham- 
pionship with Hero and Sodowsky the cow cham- 
pionship with Jessie Hopewell. 

It might interest some of the younger generation 
of cattle breeders to know that of the 30 Shorthorns 
shown in these championship contests there were 
but two roans, and of course no whites. 

''The Breeder's Gazette" commented on the es- 
prit du corps in the Hereford camp upon this memo- 
rable occasion, and stated that the Hereford aggre- 
gation, including so many English Royal winners, 
would be seen all the way through the central cir- 
cuit, with their campaign practically directed by one 
man, working not for himself but for the glory and 
honor of the breed. This drew out from Hon. J. H. 
Pickrell, the old-time Shorthorn showman, of Baron 
Booth of Lancaster fame, the following comment : 

*'Wliy should 70 cattle travel in one body, under 
one major general, to a fair that gives as the highest 
prize (in class) but $20, unless it is to awe the whole 
country with its grandeur? It must be a weak cause 
that needs such bolstering. Let me ask, why make 
such a war at all? Time settles all things and will 
in the end tell us what will best shorten a Texas 



528 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

horn, what breed will thrive best and make the 
greatest improvement generally." 

At Crawfordsville the week following the excite- 
ment was again intense, and when the gates closed 
it was found that while some re-distribution of hon- 
ors had been made the break was so even as to dem- 
onstrate that it was a case of Greek versus Greek. 
Potts had first in the big herd competition, Sodow- 
sky second and Culbertson third. In young herds 
Earl & Stuart were first. Fowler & VanNatta second 
and Parmelee third. Tregrehan was champion bull 
and Jessie Hopewell champion female. 

And so the battle raged that year — with new con- 
verts clearly gained for the ''white faces," and with 
Shorthorn breeders turning more and more towards 
the Scotch blood that was bearing so well the brunt 
of this unprecedented attack upon their position. 

"Rudolph's Year."— The event of the year 1883 
was the appearance of Rudolph, probably the great- 
est son of The Grove 3d, flashed upon the- American 
public at Des Moines. G. S. Burleigh had his 
imp. Anxiety 2d on the western circuit, then three 
years old and shown at a weight of 2,535 pounds. 
Gudgell & Simpson had a strong herd of Aberdeen- 
Angus on the road, headed by old Knight of St. Pat- 
rick, so that the open beef-herd championship was 
hotly contested. Potts and Robert Miller won first 
and second respectively, and the Wyoming Here- 
fords were third. 

W. C. McGavock, who had started in with Here- 



citf 



m, 

1881 

:eat- 

ica^ 

ii 
bie 

mli 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 529 

fords at Franklin, Mo., sent a show herd out this 
year headed by Gypsy Boy, a 1,900-pound three- 
year-old that took first at the Minnesota State Fair 
and at other shows, 

J. S. Hawes of Colony, Kans., and W. E. Camp- 
bell of Caldwell, Kans., were conspicuous exhibitors 
this season in the west ; at Topeka the latter beat his 
Shorthorn opponents in the bull championship, and 
the former gained an open prize for bull with five 
of his calves. It was here that Campbell first ex- 
hibited his famous yearling grade heifer, Texas 
Jane.* 

In Michigan, Phelps of Pontiac, William Hamil- 
ton of Flint, and Thomas Foster flew the Hereford 
flag. Unfortunately we are without the names of 
their prize-winners. 

The big show of 1883 was at the Illinois State 
I Fair, held that year at Chicago. Rudolph, Tregre- 
han, Anxiety 2d, Anxiety 3d, and Sir Garnet were 
there, and Mr. Burleigh's bull had the honor of 
standing next to Rudolph. Fowler & A^anNatta 
\ gained the grand beef herd championship over the 
Potts Shorthorns with a lot that included Tre- 
grehan, Ethel, Viola, Fancy, and Jewel 3d. Tom 



[ere 



♦Over Texas Jane's stall was this placard : 

"I was born on W. E. Campbell's ranch Aug. 19, 1S82, and was at 
once christened 

Texas Jane. 
My father was a Hereford thoroughbred ; 

My mother a wild Texas scrub ; 
The cross makes me easily fed, 
And I am able to rustle for grub. 

Don't stare at the meat on my back, 

Or be surprised at my snowy- white face; 

For 'tis all the work of Pa Pa 

That gives me this Hereford grace." 



530 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Clark was already l)ecoming famous for the quality 
of his heifers and drew first in both the three- and 
two-year-old classes, and second on yearlings. 

At St. Louis the Wyoming herd, with Eudolph at 
the head, gained the lion's share of the honors, op- 
position being offered by J. S. Hawes and W. C. 
McGavock. 

The Scare of 1884.— The discovery of what the 
official veterinarians called contagious pleuro-pneu- 
monia among certain dairy and distillery-fed cattle 
in Illinois frightened most of those who had fitted 
herds for show in 1884 into keeping their cattle at 
home, so that the exhibits were more or less meager 
all around. 

Tom Clark and George Leigh ventured out, how- 
ever, at Chicago. Clark showed Hero this year, a 
bull that would have stood a lot of competition. He 
had first in his class, and ribbons decorated the hal- 
ters of Peerless, Duchess 12th, Silver, Jessie 2d, and 
Flossie. 

While the show season was practically a failure, 
there was a big trade in 1884 in Herefords all over 
the west, although prices had begun to sag off under 
excessive importations which were somewhat below 
the levels reached a few years previous. At a com- 
bination sale at Kansas City in September Gudgell 
& Simpson, Jaeorge Leigh & Co., and Frank Crane 
sold 70 head at an average of $514.57. It was here 
that E. S. Shockey bought the Anxiety bulls Beau 
Monde, at $1,000, and Beau Real, as a calf, at $300. 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 531 

George W. Henry bought imp. Royal 16tli at the 
$1,000 figure. W. E. Campbell paid $1,230 for imp. 
Miss Archibald, and George Morgan gave $1,500 
for Primrose 2d. 

The Shows of 1885.— At the Iowa State Fair the 
Iowa Hereford Cattle Co.'s Washington was the 
first-prize aged bull. Sergeant Major heading the 
two-5^ear-old class and the famous cow Melody 10th 
gaining first among the aged females. 

In the competition for the grand beef herd cham- 
pionship, however, all breeds competing, the S. S. 
Brown Shorthorns were first, T. W. Harvey's Tur- 
lington Aberdeen-Angus were second, and the 
Herefords third. 

At Minnesota J. 0. Curry and J. C. Bertram of 
Aurora, 111., made exhibits, Mr. Bertram showing 
his stylish yearling Wilton bull Sir Wilfred and 

i Curry gaining first in the cow class with Delight 
(the dam of Peerless), then ten years old. Mr. Cul- 
bertson was also an exhibitor and had second prize 
here on Helen by Anxiety. 

At the old Western National Show at Bismarck 
Grove, Lawrence, Kans., in those days one of the 

'leading agricultural fairs of the west, J. H. Hawes 

Jwas first with his famous Fortune, son of Sir Rich- 
ard 2d. Other exhibitors were Lucien Scott, G. A. 

^Fowler of Kansas City, and Shockey & Gibb of Law- 
rence. 

At the Illinois State Fair, held in Chicago, the 
iHerefords were unquestionably the strongest class 



532 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

on the grounds. Washington was the first-prize 
aged bull and Sergeant Major was again winner 
over a great string of two-year-olds. The Iowa 
company's Melody was adjudged the best cow and 
Fowler & VanNatta were second with Lark, one of 
the most notable members of their herd at that time. 

At St. Louis Hawes, Crane, and F. H. Jackson of 
South Bend, Ind., competed; Fortune, shown at a 
weight of 2,550 pounds, won first, and Crane had 
second on the good bull Grimley 9443. 

The Business Overdone. — During the year 1885, 
notwithstanding the activity on the surface, signs 
began to multiply which indicated that the market 
for purebred Herefords had for the time being been 
overstocked. Stimulated by the widespread display 
of interest in the "white faces", importation had 
followed importation until more cattle were on the 
market than could be taken care of at prices ap- 
proaching those prevailing during the years imme- 
diately preceding. By this time many herds had 
sprung into existence in nearly all the leading agri- 
cultural states, and various speculators were bring- 
ing over cattle which were being offered both at 
public and private sale. Those who had borne the 
heat and burden of the day in introducing the breed 
in the west, and who had already made large invest- 
ments in the very best of the British show and 
breeding stock, began to feel the desirability of in 
some way restricting the number of cattle being of- 
fered. 



THE SHOCK OP SHOWYARD WAR 533 

One Hundred Dollar Tax on Imported Cattle. 

■ — At the annual meeting of the American Hereford 
Breeders' Association in Chicago on Nov. 13, 
1885, membership in the association was restricted 
to American citizens, and a new rule was adopted 
providing that all imported cattle thereafter offered 
for entry in the American herd book should pay a 
recording fee of $100. The object of this was ob- 
vious — the checking of free importations of the in- 
ferior or low-grade cattle which were being bought 
in England in the hope of reselling in America at 
a profit. 

At this same meeting a rule was adopted provid- 
ing that every animal imported before Nov. 13, 

1885, and every animal calved in America prior 
to Jan. 1, 1886, should not be eligible to record 
in the American herd book after July 1, 1886 ; that 
application for entry must be made within six 
months; and that out of every ten bulls dropped as 
the property of any member after Jan. 1, 1886, 
only nine should be eligible to record, the object of 
this being to insure the discarding of 10 per cent of 

1 the bull calf crop. A resolution was also adopted 
providing that cattle imported prior to March 1, 

1886, by breeders unaware of these new rules should 
be admitted on submission of proper evidence to 
that effect. This meeting was presided over by Dr. 
0. Bush of Sheldon, 111., at that time president of 
the association. Needless to say, the radical action 

, aroused some bitterness and provoked acrimonious 
debate. 



534 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

The results of tlie trade both at pubUc and private 
sale in England and America during the year 1885 
indicated clearly that *'the bloom was off the rye," 
SO far as fancy prices for anything except the very 
best cattle were concerned. The fact is, that the 
pace had been too fast, the business was being over- 
done. While quite a number of importers and deal- 
ers were financially crippled during the slump in 
values that materialized about this date, there was 
no doubt but that in the long run the period of liq- 
uidation which now set in was beneficial so far as 
the ultimate best interest of the Herefords in the 
United States was concerned. Excellent cattle were 
now being produced in the United States from past 
importations, and it was no longer essential that 
the herds of Herefordshire be heavily drawn upon 
to supply home demands. 

The Famous Invasion of Kentucky. — The year 
1886 is memorable in the annals of American beef 
cattle breeding for the vigorous effort made by the 
Illinois and Indiana chamjoions of the Herefords to 
storm the one great citadel of Shorthorn power — 
the blue grass region of Kentucky. For the span of 
two generations Kentucky had been wedded to the 
"red, white and roan." Throughout all the years 
that the "white faces" had been steadily gaining 
ground north of the Ohio River they had received 
no encouraging word from "the Blue Grass." Tlie 
Alexanders, Renicks, Vanmeters, Cunninghams, 
Bedfords, Goffs, Clays, Warfields, Hamiltons, and 
their contemporaries had for years reigned supreme 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 535 

in their capacity as piirveyors-in-chief to the farm- 
ers of the Mississippi Valley, and latterly to the 
ranchmen of Texas and the southwest in general, of 
all that was deemed best in the way of good cattle. 
Accustomed for two generations to the patronage of 
the leading cattle growers of the west they scoffed 
at the pretensions of the Herefords, and were slow 
to admit what their colleagues in the north had al- 
ready conceded — that the newcomers from Here- 
fordshire were destined henceforth to divide the 
honors with their favorites. 

The two leading shows of 1886 in "the Blue 
Grass" were scheduled for Shelbj^ville and Lexing- 
ton. At these two points the charge of Pickett's 
heroes at Gettysburg was in a bovine sense dupli- 
cated, and with like results. At the risk of weary- 
ing somewhat the readers of this volume, the author 
ventures to incorporate at this point liberal ex- 
cerpts from his own attempt at telling the story of 
this undertaking — practically his first reportorial 
effort in the way of a detailed account of an event of 
such character. We quote from "The Breeder's 
Gazette" of Sept. 2, 1886: 

'•THE HEREFORDS IN KENTUCKY. 
"repelled at shelbyville by blue grass shorthorns, 

" 'And darest thou then 
To beard the lion in his den, the Douglas in his hall?' 

"The sensation of the showyard season just in- 
augurated, so far as the beef breeds of cattle are 
concerned, is the 'nervy' attempt of leading breed- 
ers of Herefords to force a hearing in the most 



536 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

'solid' of all American Shortliorn breeding districts, 
tlie Blue Grass country of Kentucky. 

''For weeks past the threatened invasion by the 
'white faces' has been the one theme -of conversation 
among the Shorthorn people of the locality named, 
and as the clans began to gather for the fray last 
week the good citizens of Shelbyville suddenly found 
their quiet little city transformed into a bustling 
camp of warring factions with but one name upon 
every lip : ' The Heref ords ! ' Verily the Shorthorn 
citadel was shaken from center to circumference, 
and as the long line of deep-fleshed wanderers from 
Herefordshire wound its way through their gates, 
with Fowler, Sir Bartle Frere, Bowdoin, Prince Ed- 
ward, and Caractacus as their chiefs, those who had 
been born and raised with the supremacy of the ' red, 
white and roan,' undisputed and unchallenged were 
treated to a sight such as the eyes of many who 
gazed with eager interest had never before regaled 
themselves. Hundreds of those who came to visit 
the show had never seen a Hereford, and it is but 
simple justice to the breed to state that some, at 
least, who had apparently come to scoff remained 
to admire; and while the visitors were unable to 
snatch a victory from out the jaws of what they had 
all along expected would prove a defeat, they feel 
that a missionary work has been accomplished that 
will some day return a reasonable profit. 

"It goes without saying that the invading column 
was a strong one, representing, as it did, the first- 
class herds of Messrs. Adams Earl, of Lafayette, 
Ind. ; Fowler & VanNatta, Fowler, Ind. ; C. M. Cul- 
bertson and G. W. Henry, both of Chicago, 111.; 
and, while not so large a combination as th-e memo- 
rable white-faced array of 1882, and while by no 
means including all the best show beasts of the 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 537 

breed in the north, it was nevertheless a formidable 
force for any one breed of cattle to encounter sin- 
gle-handed, even upon its own soil. The charge was 
successfully, and we might say, good-humoredly re- 
pelled, however, with the herds of Col. T. S. Mober- 
ley, of Richmond, and T. S. Grundy & Sons of 
Springfield (Ky.), bearing the brunt of the fight. 
Mr. A. J. Alexander sent a small contingent of 
young things under the lead of the 37th Duke of 
Airdrie from Woodburn, and Messrs. J. Gr. Bobbins 
& Sons reinforced the army of defense with a herd 
from Horace, Ind., while Shelby County breeders 
contributed their mite in aid of the general cause. 

*'The story of the placing of the prizes in the 
Hereford class by a local committee follows: 

''Five animals eligible to the ring for Hereford 
bulls three years old and over were on the ground, 
three of which, it may be observed, were sons of the 
celebrated Lord Wilton, but one of their number, 
Mr. Henry's well known Stocktonbury bull imp. 
Prince Edward, was off his feed and was not led 
out. The quartette that did enter the amphitheatre, 
however, was one of extraordinary merit, and it 
would have been no easy task for a jury even of ex- 
pert Hereford breeders to pass upon the bulls with- 
out considerable delay. The judges were, we under- 
stand, none of them familiar with the kind of cattle 
upon which they were required to pass, and we be- 
lieve we are correct in saying that they did not 
*handle' a single entry in this ring. Mr. Earl 
brought forward his $3,000 English Roval winner 
Sir Bartle Frere (6682), by Lord Wilton (4740), out 
of Tiny (4467) by Longhorns (4711), with a weight 
of nearly 2,500 pounds, the first appearance of the 
bull, we believe, in any American showyard. As 
stated in 'The Gazette' for Aug. 19, this bull has 



538 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

achieved a national reputation as the sire of the 
first-, second- and third-prize grade yearling steers 

at the Chicago Fat Stock Show, and in his present 
form, with his lovely yearling daughters by his 
side, must be a source of the highest pride to his 
owner as he is of admiration to the public. He has 
a head and horn of unusual beauty, full of strong 
character, and yet as handsome as could be wished. 
His ribs spring out with a noble arch, showing a 
back and loin of most extraordinary strength; and 
on this account, if for no other reason, he is a dan- 
gerous competitor in any field. The flesh carried 
by this bull on his top is certainly sufficient to jus- 
tify at least some of the talk of our Hereford friends 
about the wealth of meat carried by their cattle in 
the most valuable parts, for if abundance of choice 
l)roiling and roasting beef is any desideratum Sir 
Bartle Frere is a type of beast that must delight the 
hand and eye of any man used to handling beeves 
of fine quality. He carried more flesh than any bull 
of any breed on exhibition, and carried it all with 
such smoothness and great show of fine breeding as 
to stamp him an animal of rare quality. 

''Next to this son of Wilton stood Mr. G. W. 
Henry's imp. Caractacus (7470), showing rather 
more white than is deemed desirable in the perfectly 
marked Hereford, but a bull of great substance and 
much flesh withal. He is on the short, compact or- 
der, and if he had some of Royal 16th 's great length 
would have probably pleased Kentucky cattlemen as 
well as any bull in the ring. He was bred by John 
W. Smith, Thinghill Court, Hereford, and was got 
by Rosarian (6139) (son of Marechal Neil 4485), 
out of Curly 7th 12250 by The Emperor 12257, he 
by Mercury (3967), the sire of Longhorns (4711), 
Tredegar (5077), Thoughtful (5063), etc. 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 539 

''Fowler 12099, Messrs. Fowler & VanNatta's cel- 
ebrated son of old Tregrelian 6203, made friends 
from the beginning; and the encomiums he received 
at the hands of both the public and members of the 
awarding committee were the spontaneous tribute 
paid by unbiased men to an animal that possesses 
merit of an uncommon kind. Fowler will be re- 
membered by many of our readers as one of the sen- 
sational two-year-olds of the Illinois State Fair of 
1885, and at that time was regarded by some good 
judges as the best Hereford bull of his age in the 
west. He carried 1,850 pounds at Chicago last Sep- 
tember, if we remember aright, and while a slight 
indisposition robbed him of some of his flesh some 
weeks ago, he has been on the up-grade since, and 
now lifts the beam at about 2,300 pounds. When it 
is remembered that he is but a trifle past three years 
old, and is not in the highest flesh, it will be seen 
that he is of great scale. He has good length, good 
rib, good back and loin, covers well on nearly all his 
points and carries the meat low down on his car- 
cass. He has marvelous width in front (as has his 
famous sire), giving great room for heart and lungs, 
and altogether shows much genuine Hereford char- 
acter. His dam, Princess 1990, was by Seventy-Six 
1093, son of that great old sire imp. Sir Richard 2d 
4984. 

''Mr. C. M. Culbertson's Bowdoin 8579 was one of 
Fowler's competitors at Chicago last year, and 
' stood next to Sergeant Major in that interesting 
competition. He came forward at Shelbyville in his 
three-year-old form as showy as ever, and with 
twelve months' development adding to the charms 
that rendered him a successful bull in 1885. He has 
done extremely well since returned to Newman from 
Michigan, and with his great smoothness and style 



540 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

is a dangerous antagonist. Like Sir Bartle Frere, 
he might fill a little better in his flank, and a 
little more flesh to round him out a trifle behind 
the shoulder would not be amiss, but he is so 
neatly turned and so pleasing is the general effect 
produced upon the eye as one beholds him, that 
he leaves a most favorable impression. He is 
a son of the old hero of Stocktonbury (Lord Wil- 
ton), out of a Remus cow, and was bred by Mr. S. 
Goode, of Ivingtonbury. 

''There was but one ribbon to be awarded and, 
by a vote of two to one, it was given to Fowler, 
the other vote being cast for Mr. Henry's Caracta- 
cus. 

*'No two-year-olds were entered and but a few 
yearlings, Mr. VanNatta securing the ribbon in the 
latter ring with Randolph, the son of Tregrehan 
that won first prize at the Illinois State Fair last 
fall as bull calf. In bull calves Mr. J. A. Pickett, 
of Shelby Co., Ky., who is quietly testing the 'white 
faces' in the 'penny-royal country,' came to the 
front with a son of Brant 12314, a Canada-bred sire, 
in competition with seven head from Fowler & Van- 
Natta, Adams Earl and C. M. Culbertson. 

"Before taking up the cows and heifers the prize 
for best bull of any age was awarded and developed 
quite a surprise to the knowing ones. Fowler, Bow- 
doin, Sir Bartle Frere, Caractacus and all giving 
way to Mr. Earl's yearling Earl of Shadeland 9th, 
a worthy youngster unnoticed by the committee on 
yearling bulls. This decision seemed to rather 
'paralyze' our Hereford friends, but it must be 
admitted that the recipient of the ribbon is not only 
a choice individual, but richly bred. He is a son 
of that finelv-fleshed and impressive sire Garfield 
(6975), dam Bramble 2d (6948) by Lord Wilton, and 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 541 

while a very elegant young bull tlie wisdom of rat- 
ing him higher than the first-class matured animals 
pitted against him may be called in question. 

''Hereford cows were an extra show, and consider- 
able difficulty was experienced in arriving at a deci- 
sion. With such animals in the fight as Mr. Earl's 
Ada 2d 7006 by Lord Wilton, and Duchess 21st 7551 
by Commander (4453), Fowler & VanNatta's Lark, 
Ethel, Viola 2d, Miss Fawley, and Mr. Henry's Ed- 
wina by Prince Edward, it is not strange that our 
Kentucky friends split badly on first ballot. The 
first prize ultimately fell to Mr. Earl's daughter of 
Wilton, the second going to Mr. VanNatta's Sir 
Richard cow Viola 2d. We should rather have pre- 
ferred the Commander cow to Ada, on account of 
her superior smoothness and quality, and in the 
same respect Miss Fawley, Ethel and Edwina would 
have probably beaten Viola; but if substance and 
weight were the objects sought the decision might 
have been worse. Both of the prize cows are un- 
even in their flesh, but they are animals of great 
depth and constitution and most worthy specimens 
of the breed. In neatness and finish Mr. Henry's 
Edwina surpassed all of her competitors, and if we 
mistake not by another year will give the cows, at 
our northern shows at least, a lively race. 

''In two-year-old heifers a full chorus of objec- 
tions attended the sending of the blue to Mr. Earl's 
Garfield heifer Erica 5th (dam the Rodney cow Cam- 
milla 8478), and the red to the same exhibitor's 
Sparkle by Tom Clark's Anxiety 3d. Although both 
are good heifers there were certainly several to be 
preferred to Erica 5th. Mr. VanNatta's grand Anx- 
iety heifer Peeress and Tregrehan's daughter Miss 
Fowler are gems in their way, but neither was for- 
tunate in getting a place. The decision for first 



542 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

place at least was palpably wrong and was so re- 
garded by the successful exhibitor. 

"In yearling heifers Fowler & VanNatta's Violet 
(dam Pretty Maid), an animal of rare ripeness and 
carrying a grand lot of flesh, was selected to wear 
the only ribbon offered in this ring. She is another 
of the get of old Tregrehan, and is a worthy repre- 
sentative of the bull that has done so much for the 
great herd at Hickory Grove. Heifer calves were 
an admirable show, and while probably most people 
would have preferred Mr. VanNatta's wonderfully 
ripe heifer by Fowler, she had to give way to Mr. 
Earl's Elena, a promising daughter of Elton 1st 
11245, the young Sir Richard bull that is the rising 
star at Shadeland. Elena is out of the Carwardine 
cow Flirt 6985 by Rodney, and will improve, but Mr. 
VanNatta's extraordinary calf is so wealthy in her 
flesh, so grand in her crops, so deep of rib and short 
of leg, that it is difficult to satisfactorily get by her. 
We can account for it in no other way than that the 
committee feared her back might not hold up to the 
required level. 

"The best female in the Hereford class was ad- 
judged to be Viola 2d, the Fowler & VanNatta cow 
alluded to above as receiving second in the cow ring. 
In spite of some unevenness in her back, she is yet 
a grand strong animal, abounding in flesh, with 
great show of substance, and being a daughter of 
the famous "old Dick" must be admitted to be a 
very valuable cow. ' ' 

These prizes placed, the herd contest followed : 

"The work in the classes only served to whet the 
curiosity of the great throng of visitors for the breed 
competition to follow, and as the ring for best bull 
of any age or breed was called excitement reached 
fever heat. The position of the exhibitors of the 



THE SHOCK OP SHOW YARD WAR 543 

Hereford was peculiar. They were strangers in a 
strange land. To three out of five people on the 
fair grounds their cattle were an utter novelty, and, 
while it was believed that honest decision would be 
rendered, it was scarcely anticipated that people 
born and bred to another ideal in cattle would dis- 
card at first sight all they had been led to admire in 
a beef animal and award the palm to beasts differing 
so widely in essential characteristics from the Blue 
Grass Shorthorn. One man would object that cattle 
built like these Herefords 'couldn't get through mud 
at all, ' while others condemned for what they pleased 
to term their 'lack of style.' The 'white face' failed to 
carry his head high enough to suit the average spec- 
tator, while the fact that they were so superior in 
front, heart, crops, rib, back and loin, and so well 
let down in the twist, could not atone apparently 
for any weakness about the rump. They were called 
small, too, by many who had never seen a deep- 
fleshed, short-legged Hereford weighed, and, while 
the Shorthorn section abounded in animals deficient 
in more vital points than those which were objected 
to in the Herefords, there were few who could ad- 
mit that the latter were the equal of the old-time 
favorites. There were some notable exceptions, how- 
ever, and more than one farmer was heard to ex- 
press a desire to try the Hereford on Kentucky soil ; 
so that, while it cannot be said that the visitors did 
more than insert an entering wedge, they have 
'broken the ice' in such a manner as to lead them 
to expect a more encouraging reception anotlier 
year. 

"A dozen animals filed into the arena in compe- 
tition for the male championships of the yard, and 
as they fell into the semi-circular line formed by 
the amphitheatre with a Hereford for a base at 



544 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE? 

either end, the keystone of the solid arch of bulls 
ominously enough was seen to be a Shorthorn and 
he the champion of his class. Sir Bartle Frere held 
the right and the Garfield yearling from Shadeland 
the left, with the Shorthorns massed from the cen- 
tre to the right, while Bowdoin, Fowler and Carac- 
tacus, and indeed the entire Hereford strength (save 
Bartle Frere) was from the start on the side to 
which the verdict ultimately assigned them — left. 
As one scanned the field the one special impression 
gathered was that the better quality and the deepest 
flesh lay with the Heretords, the heaviest weights 
and the finer style with their adversaries. The one 
were of the low-down, thick-set, kindly feeding sort, 
the other possessing the greater scale and range 
with their flesh carried higher from the ground. 
Col. Grundy's Red Chief was shown with consum- 
mate skill, and this in itself, in a region where style 
and animation count so heavily as at Kentucky 
shows, was half the battle. The level top and neat 
well turned quarters of the red Bates-topped Phyllis, 
coupled with airy style, proved irresistible, and as 
he donned the blue the great crowd broke forth with 
tumultuous applause. The nervous tension of weeks 
found sudden relaxation. The strain was over. 
Hannibal had been thundering at their gates and in 
the first pitched battle was sent reeling back upon 
his base in discouragement if not dismay. The 
Hereford exhibitors had prided themselves upon 
the fine quality of their bulls above almost all other 
features of their exhibit, and believed their oppo- 
nents to be weakest in their males, so that while 
not specially surprised at the result they felt that 
their severest attack had been successfully repelled. 
"For best herd of 'thoroughbred' cattle, any 
breed, for beef purposes, to consist of one bull and 



^ 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 545 

.four females, the females to consist of one cow three 
years old and over, one two years old and under 
three, one one year old and under two, and one under 
one year old, the following imposing array com- 
peted: Col. T.S. Moberley's Wild Eyes, Prince, 
Eosalina, Barrington Blanche (Roan Duchess), 
Juanita 16tli (Desdemona), and Desdemona calf; 
Col. T. S. Grundy's Red Chief, Grundy's Young 
Marys 52d, 63d, 84th, and Mary calf; J. G. Robbins 
& Son's Royal Best, Kitty Wells (Amelia), Nora 
(Adelaide), Majesty and calf; Mr. Adams Earl's 
(Herefords) Sir Bartle Frere, Ada 2d, Sparkle 
(Anxiety heifer), Lady Wilton 8th (by Bartle 
Frere), and Elena by Elton 1st; Fowler & Van- 
Natta's Fowler, Viola 2d, Peeress (by Anxiety 5th), 
Violet (by Tregrehan), and Lassie by Fowler. These 
five herds, three Shorthorns and two Herefords, 
constituted the most interesting exhibit of the day, 
and the strength of some of the female Shorthorns 
made it morally certain that victory would perch 
upon Kentucky banners. The main contest lay be- 
tween Grundy and Moberley. The Springfield ex- 
hibitor wisely enough, perhaps, headed his herd 
with the two-year-old that had become so pojDular 
with the committees, and again left the ring a win- 
ner. Had his older bull been at the head of his lot 
we should have considered it a stronger herd, but 

f as it was there were many who thought the Mober- 
ley cattle entitled to the prize. Again did the wel- 
kin ring with Shorthorn exultations, and again did 
the Hereford clans retire under the shadow of 
defeat. 

''Three entries came forward in competition for 
the best herd of 'thoroughl)red' cattle of any breed, 

I for beef purposes, to consist of one bull and four 
females one year old and under two, two being 



546 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Shorthorns and one Hereford, Messrs. Moberley 
and Alexander representing the former and Mr. 
Earl the latter. The visitors again thought their 
chances good, as their string was of extraordinary 
strength, including Earl of Shadeland 9th, Lady 
Wiltons 6th, 8th and 10th, and Elenora 9th. Mr. 
Alexander sent 37th Duke of Airdrie, 30th Duchess 
of Airdrie, 28tli Duchess of Airdrie, Wild Eyes Lady 
5th, Rosewood 5tli and Miss Bates 20th, while Col. 
Moberley entered 6th Airdrie of Forest Grove, For- 
est Grrove Duchess, one Mary, a Harriet, and a Des- 
demona. A committee of five inspected the cattle, 
and balloted as follows : Moberley two, Earl two, 
Alexander one. Before the sixth man could be found 
to tie the ribbon a shower set in that allayed both 
dust and interest in the fight. An umpire was finally 
secured, however, and casting his ballot for the Rich- 
mond herd sent the ribbon to adorn the already 
large collection of trophies won by Col. Moberley 
with stock from Forest Grove. There were many 
who regretted that the Herefords had not been al- 
lowed this prize, not for sweet charity's sake, but 
because it was held by a large number of people 
that Mr. Earl had the best of it on the merits of 
his stock. But it was not a Hereford day, and 
Lewis, and the Woodburn people as well, had to put 
not only a wetting but a beating in their pipes and 
smoke it. 

''The only remaining prize was that for bull with 
three of his get, and as the only Shorthorn en.try 
was of a bull in breeding condition with calves right 
from the pasture, Messrs. Fowler & VanNatta (the 
only other competitors) carried it away with 
Fowler. 

" 'Chewing the cud of sweet and bitter fancy' 
the plucky breeders from Indiana and Illinois made 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 547 

the best of tlieir Waterloo, and exereising a wise 
philosophy parted company with their successful 
rivals in the best of spirits. A miniature Hereford 
bull (intended as a souvenir watch charm) was 
presented to Mr. Earl as the representative of the 
visiting Hereford In'eeders with an address of 
thanks for tlieir attendance, and the proprietor of 
Shadeland responded in a fitting manner, setting 
forth briefly what is claimed for the red-with-white- 
face cattle. And so the show ended." 

Royal Grove Excites Admiration. — While the 
main fight was being waged in Kentuck}^ J. 0. Curry 
was arousing the enthusiasm of all good cattlemen 
in the north by showing his imported two-year-old 
The Grove 3d Ijull Eoyal Grove 21500. At the Min- 
nesota State Fair this richly-furnished, furry-coated, 
low-legged youngster was easily the best animal of 
the beef breeds in the ring. *' Harry" Yeomans' 
Washington was there, but had begun to lose his 
bloom. His flesh had always been rather soft to 
the touch, and had now begun to slip; nevertheless, 
he managed to defeat the good breeding bull Wild 
Eyes by Lord Wilton, that for some years headed 
I the herd maintained by the Cosgrove Live Stock 
Co., LeSueur, Minn., of which Mr. C. N. Cosgrove, 
long identified with the Minnesota State Fair man- 
agement, was president. 

. It was at this fair that Mr. Curry presented the 
bull calf Archibald A., by imp. Archibald and out 
of the celebrated Coral. This calf was thick and 
shapely enough, but had that wiry hair and thick 
hide that seemed so strangely and so unfortunately 



I 



548 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

persistent in Archibald's progeny. Yeomans had 
old Melody, by John Hill's Merry Monarch, out 
again, and although now seven years old and the 
mother of five calves she was placed first. She was 
a cow of great scale, weighing 1,900 pounds, and had 
wonderfully arched ribs. In the herd contest Eoyal 
Grove's superb bloom and character carried the 
day for the Curry cattle. 

Beau Real Unfairly Beaten. — At Des Moines 
manager Yeomans of the Iowa Hereford Cattle Co. 
had the honor of meeting and beating Shockey & 
Gibb's two-year-old wonder. Beau Real 11055 by 
Anxiety 4th, with Washington. This was in the 
championships open to all breeds. He was lucky to 
do it, for the younger bull was ''coming," and the 
other "going." Harry Loveland was feeding for 
the Early Dawn people and led Beau Real into the 
ring this fall weighing near 2,200 pounds at a few 
days short of three years old. It is not believed that 
a better backed bull than Beau Real* has ever been 



♦Writing- to "The Breeder's Gazette" for Oct. 31, 1900, E. S. 
Shockey referred to Beau Real in the following terms: 

"Beau Real, calved Sept. 22, 1883, was rather thin in flesh when 
we bought him, but the way he responded to good treatment was 
remarkable. We had many tempting offers for him, but would 
not part with him. With personal care and feeding we intro- 
duced him to the showring at Bismarck Grove in 1885 as a year- 
ling, where he took first in class and sweepstakes Hereford bull 
any age, thus beginnning a four-year show record in which he de- 
fied his antagonists to the end. He was once placed second by 
an 'expert' judge on account of the 'tie' in his back, and once by 
another 'expert' who said he was 'too fat to breed.' He was 
never taken out of service to fit for the showring. He never had 
any special preparation because he always insisted on carrying 
a wealth of firm flesh, transmitting the same feeding and thick- 
meated quality to his offspring. He was both a bull and a heifer 
getter but most of his sons went west to do duty on the range. 
Those" few that had an opportunity, such as Wild Tom, of Sunny 
Slope fame, and Kansas Lad, with Mr. Armour, prove the breed- 
ing-on quality so essential in a sire. Among his many magnifi- 
cent daughters I will mention a few that were called upon to 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 549 

seen in America. In expanse of loin he has certainly 
never been excelled by any bull of any breed ever 
seen in the American showyard, and he was smooth, 
but for a dimple in his back, and heavily wrapped 
in deep mellow flesh. The decision which sent first 
at this Des Moines show to Yeomans ' Blenheim over 
Beau Real in the class for two-year-old Hereford 
bulls was not generally approved, not even by Mr. 
Yeomans himself. Melody 16th again was female 
champion. 

At Lawrence, Kans., Shockey & Gibb had the 
senior bull prize in Beau Real's half-brother, Beau 
Monde. He was a broad-backed bull full of good 
flesh and with excellent character and quality. He 
represented a cross of Anxiety 4th upon The Grove 
3d blood, his dam being Beauty 2d 9901. The exhi- 
bition by Shockey & Gibb of this extraordinary pair 
of bulls drew marked attention to the great Gudgell 
& Simpson sire. 

At Lincoln, Neb., C. M. Sears of Aurora had first 
in aged bulls with Prince of Wales 8912 over Hawes' 
Fortune and Sir Evelyn. Beau Real was first in 

j two-year-olds and champion male. Two very grand 
heifers destined to fame. Lady Wilton and Miss 
Beau Real, were features of this show. The Beau 

I Real herd won the grand championship over all 
breeds. 



sustain their sire's showyard reputation, such as Miss Beau Real, 

Miss Beau Real Lad 3d, Curly Lady and Beau lleal's JMaid. 

"If I were to criticise Beau Real I would say to change his horn 

a trifle, remove the 'dimple' in his back and make him a bit 
tstraighter in hind legs. I never saw such a thick broad loin. He 
' was well flanked fore and aft and his quarters were well filled 

and beautifully finished." 



550 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Sir Bartle Frere Wins Over Washington. — One 

of the best cattle shows of 1886 was that at the In- 
diana State Fair. This was the first meeting be- 
tween Washington, the ranking aged bull of the 
western circuit, and Sir Bartle Frere. The latter 
was in fresher condition, and deservedly won. In 
two-year-olds Blenheim was preferred to Tom 
Clark's Peerless Wilton. 

The progeny of the imported cattle were by this 
time beginning to show ' ' class. ' ' Mr. Earl 's young 
bulls by Garfield, the daughters of Sir Bartle Frere, 
and Clark's Anxiety 3d heifers on one side the Mis- 
sissippi and the Anxiety 4th bulls on the other were 
foreshadowing a bright future for home breeding. 
In a great ring of cows seen upon this occasion 
Peerless, and Mr. Earl's Duchess 21st and Ada 2d, 
had to step back in favor of Clark's Flossie. The 
yearling heifers were also a wonderful lot, worthily 
headed by another daughter of Anxiety 3d, Peer- 
less 2d. The Shadeland lot won the grand cham- 
pionship herd prize over all breeds and also the 
young herd championship with Earl of Shadeland 
9th by Garfield, three Lady W^iltons by Sir Bartle 
Frere, and Edwina 4tli by Prince Edward. Mr. 
Lewis and his assistants had been unusually suc- 
cessful in the fitting of the Shadeland show stock 
of 1886. 

The Michigan breeders made a good show this 
year at Jackson. Messrs. Phelps of Pontiac, Merrill 
& Fifield of Bay City, Hamilton of Flint, Hart of 
Lapere, Driggs of Palmyra and the newly organ- 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 551 

ized partnership of Sotham & Stickneys participat- 
ing. Merrill & Fifield 's Tom Wilton, an own brother 
to Mr. Bertram's Sir Wilfred, headed the three- 
year-old bulls at Jackson. 

Beau Real Defeats Fowler. — Beau Real was 
first, Blenheim second and Fowler third in the 
senior bull class at Des Moines in September, 1887. 
Fowler should probably have been second. His 
half-brother Ethelbert 16633, out of the Tudge-bred 
cow Ethel, drew the blue in two-year-olds, while in 
yearlings his own son Fowler Prince headed the 
class. Miss Fowler by Tregrehan won by superior 
bioom over the matronly Hebe 8th and old Melody 
of the Early Dawn and Indianola herds. The Tre- 
grehans won again in two-year-old heife'rs with 
Violet 19441. The star yearling was Miss Beau 
Eeal, whose dam was Bertha by Rudolph, and in 
the heifer calves Early Dawn drew both first and 
second with Miss Belle Monde 4th, also out of Ber- 
tha, and Miss Belle Monde 5th, from a Grove 3d dam, 
both being sired by Beau Monde. Beau Real was 
champion bull, and Miss Fowler champion female. 

At the Nebraska show Beau Real was first and 
champion over all breeds, and in the bull-with-get 
class defeated the Fortunes and Sir Evelyns, shown 
\ by Hawes, as well as "Harry" Yeld's Gift Wiltons. 
With the late Senator Harris of Kansas as referee 
Hawes had the female championship, beating Miss 
Beau Real with Nutbrowne, a daughter of Anxiety 
4th. This was a big good show participated in by 
a number of local breeders, including E. E. Day, 



552 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Milliken Bros., A. S. Harrington, C. M. Sears, Wil- 
liam Baker and C. M. Leigliton. John Gosling was 
one of the judges and was thus early grounding 
an opinion of the Anxiety blood which he has ever 
since stoutly maintained. 

At Topeka the main fight was again between Early 
Dawn and Mr. Hawes, Beau Real beating Fortune, 
now eight years old, in the class, but losing to the 
latter in the bull championship open to all breeds. 
This was a rare victory for the son of old Sir Rich- 
ard 2d, as the opposition included such Shorthorn 
bulls as Cupbearer and The Baronet. 

These old-time breed contests created a lot of 
excitement and aroused keen interest, but they of 
course settled no breed difference and sometimes de- 
veloped amusing situations. At this Kansas show 
of 1887, for example, after a preliminary examina- 
tion Col. True, the judge, informed the superinten- 
dent that he did not care to assume the responsibility 
of tying the ribbons alone in the herd competition, 
and asked that another judge be added. Prof. Shel- 
ton was accordingly called, and an examination and 
a ballot revealed Col. True's vote for Clay & Winn's 
Shorthorns and Prof. Shelton's vote for the Early 
Dawn Herefords. Consultation did not result in 
agreement, and Qx-Governor Glick, a Shorthorn 
breeder, was directed to decide the tie. As his 
name was announced as referee, "I've got it" and 
"I've lost it" came simultaneously from "Newt" 
Winn and Harry Loveland, who was feeding for 
Shockey & Gibb. It was even so, for the Missouri 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 553 

Shorthorns were given premier position and the 
Kansas "white faces" were placed second. 

The Illinois show of 1887 was held at Olney. The 
Herefords were fittingly presented by the two vet- 
eran showmen Clark and VanNatta, J. 0. Curry, 
George W. Henry, Tom Ponting and others. John 
Imboden was judge, and in aged bulls properly 
placed Fowler first. At full maturity he was a 
bull of the real old sturdy Herefordshire stamp. 
Masculine, massive, rugged and active, with a com- 
manding presence, rare depth and spread of rib, 
and big well filled quarters, he was an outstanding 
specimen of the type that made the conquest of the 
range by the Herefords a certainty. Mr. Henry's 
Caractacus, thick-fleshed and compactly fashioned 
but rather light in color, was second. Ponting 's 
Defiance, by Culbertson's imp. Lord Wilton out of 
an Anxiety dam, one of the good bulls of his day, 
♦ was much admired upon this occasion. Curry's 
Horace-Regulus bull Harold was first in two-year- 
old, and the same owner's Archibald A. was first 
in yearlings. 

The cows were headed by Clark's Flossie, seen 
here with calf at foot and still showing the tradi- 
tional Anxiety smoothness and wealth of good flesh. 
Fowler & VanNatta 's eleven-year-old Truth 2d stood 
next, and Ponting 's low-legged broad-topped ''little 
one," Gertrude 2d, granddaughter of Gay Lass and 
dam of Defiance and other good ones, was third. The 
VanNatta herd had both first and second in three- 
year-olds with Miss Fowler, by Fowler, and Peer- 



554 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ess, by Anxiety 5tli. In two-year-olds Clark was 
handily first with Peerless 2d and A'anNatta second 
on Violet by Tregrehan. Peerless 3d drew the blue 
for Clark in the yearlings with Henry's Countess 
of Rossland next. Fowler & VanNatta won on herd. 
A new committee made Caractacus champion bull 
and Peerless 2d champion female of the class. Hark- 
ing back to J. H, Pickrell's sarcastic reference to 
the Hereford "syndicate" of 1882, it was significant 
of the now widespread recognition of Hereford ex- 
cellence that a member of this famous old-time 
Shorthorn breeder's own family, Mr. A. A. Pickrell, 
acting as referee at Olney, sent the grand beef herd 
championship to Fowler & VanNatta. 

By this date the fame of St. Louis as the great 
agricultural show of the middle west had sadly 
faded. In 1886 there had not been a Hereford on 
the grounds, and in 1887 but three were seen, those 
of Tom Clark, G. W. Henry and Fielding W. Smith. 
Caractacus was first and champion, and Dictator 2d, 
son of the famous Dictator, was second. Flossie 
won as usual in the cow class, but Peerless 2d was 
made champion female.* 

iVt a 'show held at Kansas City this year Dictator 



♦Old Peerless died in the fall of 1887, and her record was so re- 
markable that it should find full recognition. We quote Mr. Clark's 
statement of her career made shortly after her death, as follows: 

"Peerless was exhibited in England at Leominster show in 1881, and 
was one of four yearling heifers winning the first prize, also one of 
;i pair of heifers winning first prize at the Lord Tredegar show at New- 
port the same year. In America, in 18S2, Peerless won first prize as 
the best two-vear-old at Hoopeston, 111., first at Lafayette, Ind., sec- 
ond at Springfield, 111., second at Illinois State Fair at Peoria, and 
first in class and sweepstakes female of any age at St. Louis. In 
1883 she was first at Illinois State Fair at Chicago, and sweepstakes 
female any age. She was then withdrawn from the showyard until 



THE SHOCK OF SHOWYARD WAR 555 

2d defeated Fortune and Sir Evelyn. In Minnesota 
Fowler & VanNatta and the Cosgrove Co. were the 
only contestants, Fowler beating Wild Eyes in the 
bull section but Cosgrove taking a majority of the 
prizes on females, including first in the cow class 
with Bonnyface, a 1,975-pound daughter of Rudolph. 
In Michigan Merrill & Fifield, Sotham & Stick- 
neys and Hon. James M. Turner showed under F. H. 
Johnson of South Bend as judge. Tom Wilton and 
Clarence Grove, both owned by Merrill & Fifield, 
were first and second in senior bulls. Sotham & 
Stickneys were first in two-year-olds with Stock- 
field's Wilton by Hall's Hotspur. Merrill & Fifield 
won on cows with Lovely 2d and Greenhorn 5tli. 

1886, when she was first at the Illinois State Fair at Chicago over 
hot competition. 

"The following- is a list of her produce and their winnings: Empress 
2d 12771 was one of the four yearling heifers shown by me at the 
Illinois State Fair in 1884 that took first prize in young herd over all 
breeds. She is now owned by H. H. Clough, Elyria, O , and was 
shown by him this year at the Loraine County Fair, taking first prize 
as cow in strong competition ; she was also in the herd that took the 
grand sweepstakes over all breeds. Her next calf was Peerless Wil- 
ton 12774, which I am now using in my herd on Anxiety 3d 4466 
heifers, and for which I refused, when he was eleven months old, 
$1,500. He was the sire of that remarkable sixteen-month-old bull 
that took second premium for yearlings at the last Illinois State Fair 
against much older and larger animals. Her next calf, Peerless 2d 
16240, took first prize as a yearling at the Illinois State Fair 
in 18S6, and in 1887 at the Illinois State Fair was first as two-year- 
old, sweepstakes for the best female of any age, and sweepstakes over 
all breeds in the two-year-old competition; at St. Louis in 1887 she 
was first as two-year-old in her class and sweepstakes for best female 
of any age, also one of five in sweepstakes herd. Her next calf. 
Peerless 3d 26664, took second as calf at the Illinois State Fair in 
1886, first as yearling at the Illinois State Fair in 1887, and was one 
of sweepstakes young herd at St. Louis this year. Her last calf (but 
not least) is a bull named Anxiety Wilton, which bids fair to equal 
any of her other produce. 

"At the time of her death Peerless was within three weeks of drop- 
ping a heifer calf, which would have made her sixth calf. She was 
seven years old last May. With her show career and the calves she 
produced, I would class her as one of the most remarkable cows that 
ever lived. The cause of her death was an abscess on her kidney, from 
which she had been suffering most of the summer ; although she suf- 
fered so much, she retained her beautiful form until the day of her 
death." 



CHAPTER XIII. 
SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS. 

The state of Ohio had thus far been somewhat 
neglected by the leading exhibitors of Herefords. 
Local breeders had made creditable shows each year, 
and new herds were founding, prominent among 
them being that of H. H. Clough, who restored in 
full measure the reputation which Elyria had many 
years before enjoyed as a Hereford headquarters. 

The Ohio Show of 1888.— The "big chiefs" of 
the trade in those days decided to let the Ohio 
farmers see their best cattle at the state fair of 
September, 1888. Adams Earl, Fowler & VanNatta, 
George W. Henry, Tom Clark and C. M. Culbertson 
entered the state, coming, indeed, the week before 
and showing at the old tri-state fair at Toledo. They 
were reenforced at Columbus by the herds of Mr. 
Clough and F. C. Sayles of Berlin Heights. 

Fowler at five years old came in at a weight of 
2,800 pounds, still carrying himself like a two-year- 
old. However, he was side-tracked by the committee 
in the senior bull class in favor of Tom Clark's well- 
brought-out four-year-old. Prince Edward 2d 14117, 
by Mr. Henry's Prince Edward and out of Luna 
4th by Horatius. This was a thick-fleshed bull par- 
ticularly good in loin and twist. His sire. Prince 

556 



558 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Edward, with his attractive Lord Wilton head and 
his level quarters, and now nearly eight years old, 
was in this ring, but was unable to hold back the 
younger generation. Clougli was showing a very 
good four-year-old bull called Sylvester 11123, bred 
at Gudgell & Simpson's from Anxiety 4th. Sayles' 
Cedric 8933 was also seen — an imported Turner- 
bred bull with the traditional Grove 3d-Spartan 
thickness of flesh, but lacking the scale of his com- 
petitors. Fowler was placed second, with Prince 
Edward and Cedric next in line. 

Earl of Shadeland 22d.— Mr. Earl's Earl of 
Shadeland 22d 27147, by Garfield and out of Elec- 
tra 2d by Sir Bartle Frere, second dam being that 
capital cow Anguilla by Sir Richard 2d, had been 
made champion at Toledo over bulls of all ages. He 
was easily enough first in the two-year-old division 
at Columbus and subsequently was declared champ- 
ion male of the breed. A bull of rare balance and 
quite the sensation of the show season of 1888, Earl 
of Shadeland 22d had an illustrious career as a prize- 
winner. Fowler & VanNatta also were proving the 
merit of their breeding stock in convincing fashion ; 
in this ring they supplied Cherry Boy 26495, son of 
Fowler and Cherry Pie 2d by Horatius, and des- 
tined to great fame later on. He was second here to 
Earl of Shadeland 22d. Mr. Culbertson's Star 
Grove bulls by The Grove 3d were full of flesh, but 
had not the size and stretch of their antagonists. Mr. 
Earl also headed the yearling class with another 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 559 

Garfield bull, Earl of Sliadeland 30tli 30725, out of 
Snowdrop by Colorado 4252. It may be said in 
passing that the Shadeland herd contained several 
Colorado cows that proved most excellent produc- 
ers. This Earl of Shadeland 30th was a youngster 
of fine promise, which he afterwards quite fulfilled. 

The VanNatta stalls supplied the winner in the 
cow class in the nine-year-old Miss Mize 2015, by Sir 
Richard 2d, full of thick natural flesh and with a 
beatiful heifer calf at foot afterwards known to 
fame as May Fowler. Henry's Edwina, by Prince 
Edward and with her sire's loins and quarters, was 
second. Clark's Peerless 2d, suffering from a lame 
foot, was down in third place, while VanNatta 's 
Flossie and Peeress were out entirely, a fact well 
illustrating the exceptional strength of this great 
show. The two-year-old heifers were a revelation to 
many of the spectators. Peerless 3d had first, Van- 
Natta 's Polly Pink hy Fowler was second, and Cul- 
bertson's Grove Maid 17th was third. The yearlings 

I were also a royal lot headed by Earl's Lady Wilton 
26tli by Bartle Frere, with Henry's Lady Pitt 2d 
next, and Lady Wilton 28th third. In heifer calves 
May Fowler led. In the bull-with-get class Fowler 

(won. Mr. Earl's fine yearling. Lady Wilton 26th, 
was female champion. 

^ In the grand-beef-herd contest, open to all, Mr. 
Henry's Herefords were victorious. Mr. Earl won 
the young herd championship, as well as the open 
bull championship with Earl of Shadeland 22d and 



560 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the open female cliampionsliip witli Lady Wilton 
26tli. The fruits of the importation of 1881 were 
being gathered. 

The Big Show Moves West. — The impressive 
display made at Toledo and Columbus was practical- 
ly duplicated at Indianapolis. Fowler's ill luck 
remained with him, the first prize in the older bulls 
going again to Prince Edward 2d. In two-year-olds 
Earl of Shadeland 22d, easily the sensation of the 
year, was quickly slated for first, and in yearlings 
Earl of Shadeland 30th duplicated his Columbus 
winning. 

Among the cows the Columbus awards were 
shaken up, first going to Peeress by Anxiety 5th, 
second to Edwina, third to Miss Mize, and fourth to 
Flossie. A different order was also arranged in 
the two-year-old heifers; Polly Pink moved up 
from second to first place. Countess of Rossland 
stood next, and Peerless 3d, that had been first at 
Columbus, was turned down to third. Other ar- 
rangements were also made among the yearlings, 
Lady Wilton 27th, fourth at Columbus, going to 
the front. Peerless 2d following and Mr, Earl's 
Erica 16th coming third. May Fowler duplicated 
her Ohio victory in heifer calves. In tlu bull 
championship open to all breeds Earl of Shadeland 
22d carried the honor by direction of Mr. Imboden. 
In the open herd competition partisans of each of 
the three leading breeds served on the committee. 
By agreement of the Shorthorn and Aberdeen-An- 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 561 

gus judges the first and second prizes went to the 
Shorthorns and the "doddies," Dr. Bush, the Here- 
ford representative, voting for the VanXatta Here- 
fords in each case. In young herds first went to 
the Shorthorns and second to the Shadeland Here- 
fords. 

The four leading herds on the eastern circuit put 
in an appearance at the Illinois State Fair at Olney, 
supplemented by a good lot sent by Tom Pouting. 
The entire Pouting exhibit, including Defiance 
21849, by Lord Wilton, were direct descendants of 
old Gertrude 2d by Pouting 's Anxiety 3d, and the 
old matron herself was there on view. 

Fowler was at last preferred to Prince Edward 
2d upon this occasion, Defiance tying the latter for 
second place. Earl of Shadeland 22d won by gen- 
eral consent among the two-year-olds, with Cherry 
Boy second as before. In the yearlings the Earls 
of Shadeland 30th and 26th won in the order named. 
The Garfield bulls were now making an even 
greater "hit" than the Bartle Frere heifers. 

In the cow class Edwina at last forged to the 
front, and Flossie stood next, leaving Miss Mize, 
the Columbus winner, and Peeress unplaced. Peer- 
less 3d was made best two-year-old with Countess 
of Rossland second, Polly Pink being unplaced. 
Lady Wilton 27th continued to find high favor and 
was first in the wonderful yearling class, with her 
stable mate, Lady Wilton 26th, second. Mr. Henry 
won the herd prize, and Mr. Earl scored in the 



562 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

class for five animals the get of one sire, with his 
Bartle Frere group after a hard battle with Clark's 
Anxieties. It will be remembered that Sir Bartle 
Frere and Anxiety 3d were half-brothers, both be- 
ing out of old Tiny 4467. On the following week 
most of these cattle were seen at St. Louis, meet- 
ing at that point entries from the herd of F. W. 
Smith. Fowler had first prize as best senior bull, 
and the Earls of Shadeland 22d and 30tli completed 
an unbroken string of victories. It is worth noting 
in this connection that in the yearling class an Anx- 
iety 4tli bull, Don Carlos, of which we shall hear 
more later on, shown by Mr. Smith, stood next to 
the great son of '' Bartle." 

Western Shows of 1888. — The trans-Missis- 
sippi fairs of 1888 did not develop the strength ex- 
hibited elsewhere. The show at Des Moines was 
made chiefly by George Fowler, Maple Hill, Kans., 
the Kansas Hereford Cattle Co. of Lawrence, A. A. 
Crane, Osco, 111., and Fielding W. Smith. Mr. 
Smith received first in bulls on Dictator 2d; The 
Grove 3d bull Plutarch 14410, imported by George 
Leigh and shown by the Kansas company, had 
second; Mr. Crane's five-year-old Sir Cherry 7295, 
bred by Mr. T. L. Miller's son, T. E. Miller, and 
sired by Ivington Wilton, stood third. Murdock 
28545, by Beau Monde, was the only two-year-old 
bull. Smith's future-great Don Carlos at twenty 
months had to make way for Fowler's Beau Real 
3d, by Beau Real and out of Bertha by Rudolph. 
Another Beau Real baby was first in bull calves. 




"TOM" PONTTNG. 



564 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

One of the best cows ever seen in America, Lady 
Wilton 19498, of the Fowler herd, an imported 
daughter of Lord Wilton, was easily first among the 
matrons. The Kansas company's Nutbrowne 5th 
17243, by Anxiety 4tli and an own sister to Hawes' 
famous Nutbrowne 4th, was second. Mr. Fowler 
succeeded in beating Miss Beau Real in two-year- 
olds with Curly 17th, daughter of the Merry Mon- 
arch cow Curly 16th. Dictator 2d was champion 
bull, and Lady Wilton the best female any age. 
The Fowler entries won the young herd champion- 
ship, open to all breeds. 

Lady Wilton vs. Princess Alice. — At Lincoln 
the judge, John Gosling, gave Plutarch first over a 
Garfield bull shown by Howard Bros., Edgar, Neb. 
Murdock and Beau Real 3d were first in the two- 
year-old and yearling rings. The cows were placed 
as at Des Moines, as were also Curly 17th and Miss 
Beau Real. Murdock was made champion bull, 
Lady Wilton preserving her Des Moines honor 
among the females. 

In the annual breed contest at Lincoln the Short- 
horn herd of Luther Adams of Storm Lake, la., was 
given championship honors, with the famous Cup- 
bearer at its head. Included in this herd was the 
beautiful heifer Princess Alice, later to acquire 
celebrity in the Linwood herd of Senator Harris. 
In the open class for females of all ages she was 
preferred to Lady Wilton. ''Newt" Winn, a Mis- 
souri Shorthorn breeder, Alexander Legge, and 
John Gosling constituted the awarding committee; 



iili 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 565 

the decision went to the Shorthorns over Mr. 
Gosling's protest. George Morgan, who was pres- 
ent, became particularly wrathy over the ver- 
dict, claiming that Lady Wilton's equal had 
never appeared in a western showy^ard. ' ' Uncle 
Willie" Watson, then with Mr. Harvey at Turling- 
ton, said to that rare old '^brither Scot," William 
Miller, manager for Mr. Adams, the owner of 
Princess Alice, ''Weel noo, ye've just beaten the 
best coo on the grounds." 

Beau Real came forward at Topeka. An accident 
had cost him loss of flesh and bloom, but Beau Real 
out of form was better than the good Plutarch, and 
the ribbons were placed accordingly. Murdock won 
again by default. Beau Real 3d beat his Beau Real 
brother, Shockey's Nimrod, in yearlings. Lady 
Wilton was first in cows by everybody's- consent. 
Makin Bros, of Florence, Kans., most capable men, 
who had by this time become established in Here- 
fords, contributed good cattle to this show. They 
did not win, but there came a day later on when 
they had to be reckoned with. Miss Beau Real was 
ordered by the judge, Capt. Huber, ahead of Curly 
17th in the two-year-olds. 

The open bull-and-get championship at Topeka 
was awarded by Col. J. F. True and the late John 
McDiarmid to the Beau Real contingent, over the 
Shorthorn Scotland's Heros and Col. Harris' Baron 
Victors. The Shorthorn Cupbearer was made cham- 
pion bull over all, whereupon the Hereford breeders 
rebelled and sought their tents, Princess Alice be- 



566 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

coming female champion and tlie Shorthorn group 
of which she was a member receiving first honors in 
a one-sided herd contest. 

New Alignment in 1889. — Mr. Earl's whirlwind 
campaign of 1888 had certainly sufficed to advertise 
sufficiently the claims of Shadeland as a nursery of 
prize-winning Herefords. Fowler & VanNatta, too, 
had won such stores of ribbons that it seemed as if 
they could well afford to remain under cover for a 
time, so far as showing was concerned. Neither of 
these herds was on the circuit of 1889. Some new 
l)lood came forward, however, more especially west 
of the river. The recession of the tide following 
the '' hurrah days" of the big importations had 
forced a number of concerns to '^shorten sail," and 
others to go out of business entirely. The Iowa 
Hereford Cattle Co. had over-extended itself, and 
the show herd was sold to go to California where 
it was successfully exhibited. The Early Dawn peo- 
ple had transferred their interests to others. New 
men were taking up the cudgels ; conspicuous among 
them at this date in the west was C. H. Elmendorf 
of Kearney, Neb. The Makin Bros., Florence, 
Kans., were also now coming to the front. E. E. 
Day of Weeping Water, Neb., also moved up into 
the limelight. 

At Des Moines Elmendorf, Day, the Makins, the 
Cosgrove Co. of Minnesota, and Alex. Moffitt & Son 
of Mechanicsville, la., made the Hereford presenta- 
tion before William Stocking of Eochelle, 111., as 
judge. In the aged bulls it was easy to send Makin 's 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 567 

Vincent 16691 to the fore. He was a four-year-old 
son of Sir Evelyn out of imp. Princess of Wales 
12073 — a wide, compactly built, evenly turned bull, 
with good quarters and a nice touch. Day's Prov- 
ince, another son of Sir Evelyn, was second. 

Earl of Shadeland 30th. — Elmendorf had bought 
Earl of Shadeland 30th from Mr. Earl and in his 
two-year-old form he was a show bull of the first 
rank, albeit without competition at this particular 
show. Speaking of this bull at that time "The 
Breeder's Gazette" said: 

"Hereford breeders will not need to have this 
bull recalled to mind, as he is well known as the 
yearling which was counted a 'coming youngster' 
in Adams Earl's herd through the eastern circuit 
last year. Well, he has 'come.' He had started to 
*come' when he tied his companion, the phenomenal 
Earl of Shadeland 22d, for sweepstakes bull at St. 
Louis at the close of the 1888 campaign, and since 
that time he has moved along evenly until today he 
must be pronounced one of the most charming bulls 
ever seen in an American showyard. There have 
been bulls stronger in this or the other point, but 
all in all he is beyond question one of the most uni- 
formly good bulls of the breed. He is absolutely 
' smooth, with shoulder beautifully laid, neck-vein 
nicely filled, ribs well arched and deep, quarters 
long, level and well filled, top and bottom lines per- 
fect, while back and loin are packed deeply and 
smoothly with mellow flesh." 

(Besides buying this bull Mr. Elmendorf had 
secured from Tom Clark Flossie, from Mr. Henry 
_ I Edwina, and from Fowler & VanNatta Polly Pink, 
all familiar showyard favorites. All three were 



568 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

thrown into the cow class at Des Moines. However, 
they had already passed their zenith; Flossie was 
heavy in calf and Polly was growing somewhat 
rough in her flesh. On the other hand the Makin 
entry, Mayflower 4th by Fortune, was shown in fine 
form, and as she was broad, deep, full through the 
girth and even in her lines, she drew premier place. 
Day got second on another daughter of Hawes' 
Fortune named Cressie, richly furnished, broad- 
topped and low-legged. Day supplied the winner 
among the two-year-old heifers in Bright Lass 3d, 
by Anxiety 4th, the smoothness and quality of the 
Gudgell & Simpson bull's get being in evidence. 
Elmendorf's Elena lOtli from Shadeland was sec- 
ond. The Day herd drew the blue in yearlings with 
Mable by Sir Evelyn 2d; Elmendorf's May Fowler 
(from the VanNatta string) was in this class, but 
Mr. Stocking did not seem to appreciate her fully. 
Earl of Shadeland 30th was champion bull and 
Bright Lass 3d was sweepstakes female. 

Gosling Upsets Stocking's Work. — At Lincoln 
there was a notable upsetting of the Des Moines 
ratings. John Gosling as judge had by this time 
become a fixed habit with the Nebraska State Fair 
management and exhibitors, and in overturning a 
number of Mr. Stocking's decisions of the week be- 
fore he undoubtedly reflected the best judgment of 
unprejudiced men.* 

*Mr. John Gosling was born in Staffordshire, England, in 
1844. He came to the United States in June, 1870, after having 
had practical experience in the buying, feeding and slaughter- 
ing of meat animals. His first work in this country was in John 
Taylor's packing house in Trenton, N. J. This employment he 




JOHN GOSLINQ. 



570 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

The exhibits of Messrs. Day, Elmendorf and 
Makin were supplemented by entries from the local 
herds of Howard Bros., Milliken Bros., Leighton, 
Harrington, Moon and the Havens Farm, owned by 
Mr. Arthur Havens, a son-in-law of Mr. C. M. Cul- 
bertson. It was the largest turn-out of Herefords 
seen in the state up to this date. 

No less than eight aged bulls awaited judgment, 
but Vincent proved invincible. Nevertheless, he 
was pressed for the place by Mr. Havens' Star Wil- 
ton 4th, by imp. Lord Wilton out of a Grove 3d 

was obliged to discontinue on account of illness, and in the 
summer of 1871 he made a trip back to England, returning with 
a few Shropshire sheep, paying $25 per head as ocean freight 
upon them. These he exhibited at the New Jersey State Fair, and 
then took them to the St. Louis show, but at that time there was 
no class for such animals. A few years later he brought over 63 
Shropshires to Lexington, Ky., and exhibited a part of them at 
various state fairs for their owner, Mr. George Allen, now de- 
ceased. From 1872 to 1880 he was engaged in the butchering 
business at Rockford, 111., although during that time he had 
some connection with both T. L. Miller and George Morgan in 
the way of assisting in the introduction of Hereford cattle 
throughout the west. When Mr. Culbertson began importing he 
made use of Mr. Gosling's services in various ways during Mor- 
gan's absences in quest of cattle in England. It was then that 
Mr. Alexander H. Swan hired Mr. Gosling to take charge of a 
herd of Herefords which he had established at Indianola, la. 
It was from this establishment that the famous Fat Stock Show 
heifer Grace was developed, becoming the champion Hereford 
heifer at the Iowa State Fair and tying Mr. Culbertson's cross- 
bred bullock Dysart for champion honors at the Chicago Fat 
Stock Show. 

From October, 1881, to September, 1884, Mr. Gosling was trans- 
ferred to the Omaha distillery barns, and while there fed 6,000 
head of cattle, for some of which record prices were obtained and 
remarkable dressings reached, as high as 64 to 65 percent being 
obtained on grade range-bred "white faces." From Omaha Mr. 
Gosling was sent back by Mr. Swan to Indianola, where he de- 
veloped the bull calf Storm King, afterwards sold for $1,000 to go 
to Wyoming. From this source also came the famous champion 
carcass winner Plush, referred to elsewhere in this volume in 
connection with the early Fat Stock Shows. 

About 1887 the failure of the Swan Bros, caused Mr. Gosling 
to return to Rockford, where he got together a few Hereford 
cattle, and fed that splendid steer Sensation for the carcass 
competition at the Fat Stock Show. Although failing of recogni- 
tion on the block at the hands of the judges, Mr. Gosling's 
friends among the Hereford breeders evinced their appreciation 
of his skill in producing such a carcass, by raising a purse 
of $237.50 which was turned over to the exhibitor by way of 
consolation. This carcass was the subject of much discussion 
at the time, and was purchased by A. C. Terry who for many 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 571 

dam. Earl of Sliadeland 30th had things all his own 
was among the two-year-olds. 

There were sixteen aged cows forward. Polly 
Pink drew the blue. She might have been smoother 
in her flesh, but it was exceptionally thick in the 
right spots, and she also had plenty of scale with a 
marked show of substance. Another cow that had 
been unnoticed at Des Moines, Day's Aurora, was 
drawn for second. She was of a good Hereford 
type, level and near to the ground. In two-year- 
olds there was another shake-up. Bright Lass 3d, 
the Iowa champion, was passed over for Elena 10th 



years maintained one of Chicago's best retail meat markets on 
the corner of what is now Jackson Blvd. and Dearborn St. The 
chef of the Richelieu Hotel had the handling of the beef for 
the table, and pronounced it the best he had ever served up 
to that date. This steer was fed oats and barley meal, and did 
not consume five bushels of corn in all his life. 

In 1892 Mr. Gosling associated himself with the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy R. R. at St. Joseph, Mo., in which capacity 
he served until 1896, when he removed to Kansas City, Mo., 
and engaged in the buying of bulls for the western ranges. 
He did much of the buying at one time for the LS range at 
Tascosa, Tex., the calf product of which herd was afterwards 

I so successful at the Kansas City Royal shows. He also boug'ht 
bulls for Mrs. Adair's JJ herd at Paloduro, from which stock 
Mr. Dan W. Black of Ohio acquired calves and fed them to 
championship honors at the International Exposition at Chicago. 
Mr. Gosling also bought bulls for the Fowler & Tod outfit from 

I 1897 to 1909 when the herd was dispersed. He also acted as 
buying agent for the SMS, Spur, Bell and other prominent range 
companies. His services were also utilized by Mr. Murdo 
Mackenzie for the buying of the northern-bred contingent of 
bulls shipped a few years since to Brazil. 

John Gosling's great hobby during all these years has been 
the beef carcass, and he has made himself one of the recognized 
authorities of his day and generation upon this subject. During 
the past ten years the instructors at many of the leading Ameri- 

I can and Canadian agricultural colleges have taken advantage of 
his intimate knowledge and felicity of expression in this regard, 
„ und his lectures to students and various gatherings of farmers 
j and stockmen, discussing the relation of breed and feed to flesh 
and fat, have been regarded as among the most valuable practi- 
cal contributions of recent years to the available fund of infor- 
mation upon that question". 

Some years ago at Fargo, N. D., he was giving a meat 
demonstration, and was called upon to answer some questions, 
among others: "What kind of a beef bull should one select?" His 
answer was. "One with a Napoleonic expression. Cloudy! 'Bully'! 
A Duke of Wellington physiognomy indicating character! To this 
, Join a Kiim' Solomon disposition, and you have the bull you 
1^ are looking for." This sally was followt'd \>y applause and 



572 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

by Elton 1st 11245. Mr. Earl had given the Elton 
name at Shadeland to a line of bulls owning Sir 
Richard 2d as their sire, and Elena 10th had surely 
inherited from "old Dick" some of his- deep natural 
flesh. Her ribs were beautifully sprung, and her 
loin wide. The Anxiety heifer that had beaten her 
before was second. Again, in the yearling heifers 
the previous judgment was disapproved. May 
Fowler, although set below Mabel at Des Moines, 



laughter, and in recalling it Mr. Gosling remarked to the author 
of this volume. "Such bulls were Don Carlos and Beau Brummel." 
Mr. Gosling always insisted that these and other Anxiety bulls 
strengthened the Hereford type in respect to the deep back- 
thigh, "a formation," according to his view, "which insures the 
legs getting into the beef quick." This merit, Mr. Gosling in- 
sists, was lacking in many of the Herefords prior to the exten- 
sive use of the Anxiety blood througliout the west. He urges 
at all time that what is needed is an increased supply of inner 
muscle or flesh, as contrasted with carcasses carrying too much 
outside fat. 

One of the most notable tributes ever paid to the subject 
of this note was that written some years ago by Mr. Cecil 
Palmer, at one time a leading live-stock artist, making a special 
study of Hereford form and character. Mr. Palmer said: 

"Mr. Gosling's relation to the Hereford cause has been that 
of an expounder and defender of 'the faith.' Born in Stafford- 
shire, England, the son of an artist, he brought to his mission 
the eye of an artist, the inclination and capacity of mind for 
thorough investigation and complete knowledge of his subject 
in all its relations, the boundless and untiring enthusiasm of a 
crusader of old and the gift of speech. He has been an advance 
agent of the Hereford man's present prosperity. Like another 
John of old, he has been a voice crying in the wilderness, 'prepare 
ye the way'. He has not only been priest and prophet of the 
Hereford religion, but he has been an educator as well, and has 
helped to improve the Hereford by helping to educate the 
breeder. 

"He could see the faults of the Hereford, if he had any, and 
he always adinitted them. He could see the faults of the 
Shorthorn or Polled Angus with certainty, and he sometimes 
mentioned thein too. Mr. Gosling is a judge of the beef animal, 
whether on the farm or in the showring. He knows when to 
feed and how to feed and what to feed and how much — and he 
has always been an advocate of the liberal and discriminating 
use of the knife. He knows how to breed, feed and butcher; 
and also how to cook a beef steak or roast, and when it is on 
the table he is an epicure. 

"Years ago he advocated the idea that two years was long 
enough for a steer to live. Years ago he advised in a letter 
addressed to the Illinois State Board of Agriculture the aban- 
donment in the Fat Stock Show of all classes over two years, 
and the following year, in proof of his theory, fed and exhibited 
at that show the two-year-old crossbred steer Plush that won 
not only the two-year-old prize, but sweepstakes on the block." 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 573 

had been made champion female in the Hereford 
association specials at the Iowa show under the 
judgment of '* Willie" Watson; Gosling now dec- 
orated her with the blue badge of superiority in an 
exceptionally fine class of heifers. Mabel was sec- 
ond. There were onlookers, however, who would 
have preferred her for first, among these being Mr. 
Culbertson, who insisted that she was the best Here- 
ford female of any age on exhibition. 

Col. W. A. Harris, whose great herd of Scotch- 
bred Shorthorns at Linwood, Kans., had by this 
time come to rank as the best of that breed in 
America, was recognized on all hands as one of the 
soundest judges of beef cattle in the west, and it 
was under his examination at Lincoln that Earl of 
Shadeland 30th was made champion Hereford bull, 
and Polly Pink champion over all females. Messrs. 
Harris and Gosling tied the ribbons in the open 
championships, the first herd prize going to Wil- 
liams & Householder's Shorthorns and the second 
to the Elmendorf Herefords. Vincent was made 
champion bull and the famous Shorthorn show cow 
Fall Creek Eose was preferred to Polly Pink for the 
female championship of the yard. 

At the Topeka fair Elmendorf, Makin and Day 
had it out again. Vincent and Earl of Shadeland 
30th won their ribbons as usual. Mayflower 4th was 
restored to her Des Moines position as head of the 
cow class. Elena 10th won again in her division, as 
I did May Fowler among the yearlings. 

East of the Mississippi River Clark, Henry, 



574 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Clougli and George 0. Holcomb & Son of Troy, Pa., 
shipped show cattle to a special event at Buffalo, 
N. Y., where they were joined by J. S. Northrup of 
Westfield, N. Y. The latter beat Cedric in the aged 
l)ull class with Valiant 25071, bred by Clongh and 
sired by his imported The Grove 3d bull Alexander 
9821. Holcomb was second in two-year-olds with 
the Garfield bull Earl of Shadeland 24th 30721, de- 
feating Clark's Anxiety Wilton 30272. Peerless 3d 
headed the cows and her stable companion, Horatia 
3d, was best two-year-old heifer. Clark won the 
herd prize, and that for get of bull. 

There was also a good show at Detroit this same 
year, where Mr. Clough and R. G. Hart of LaPeer, 
Mich., submitted Hereford entries to Mr. Van- 
Natta's judgment. Clough 's herd was in best form, 
and with Sylvester at the head gained most of the 
honors. On account of these new shows the Indiana 
State Fair of 1889 had neither Hereford nor Aber- 
deen-Angus entries. 

Clark's "Clean-Up" at Peoria.— The Illinois 
State Fair of 1889 was held at Peoria. The Here- 
ford show was not large, consisting of but 36 head, 
entered by Clark, Elmendorf, Henry, Pouting, "W. J. 
Lewis and Frank Crane. Pouting 's Defiance won in 
the first class shown, Lewis receiving second on 
Quantrille 10774, son of Clark's Anxiety 3d. Earl 
of Shadeland 30th beat Anxiety Wilton (son of 
Peerless) and Crane's Emerson, the latter by that 
very excellent stock bull Grimley. In two-year-olds 
Henry was first with Caractacus Wilton, son of his 




G. AC Cosgrove 



576 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

old show bull Caractacus that had meantime been 
sold for export to South America. 

In aged cows Elmendorf s Etiquette, by Anxiety 
6th out of Flirt by Rodney, wore the blue. In 
three-year-olds Peerless 3d beat Polly Pink, and in 
two-year-olds Clark won again, this time with Hor- 
atia 3d by Anxiety 3d. There was no denying the 
blue among the yearlings to the same exhibitor, the 
prize falling to Cora Belle, a heifer that had been 
bred by Mr. Clark's neighbor, McEldowney, from 
Peerless Wilton and Crystal Belle by Cedric. Just 
by way of '* rubbing in" his skill at the game Clark 
walked off with the second prize on Lottie by 
Anxiety 3d. May Fowler was unplaced. When on 
top of all this Clark's Horatia 4th headed the heifer 
calves, his cup was full and running over. The 
Hereford association specials for best bull and best 
female were sent by the judgment of Mr. Gosling 
to Earl of Shadeland 30th and Peerless 3d. 

Cherry Boy Champion. — The persistency with 
which Fowler & VanNatta, Adams Earl and Thomas 
Clark followed the great shows of the period under 
review was one of the most interesting phases of 
this era in Hereford progress in the United States. 
Fowler & VanNatta banked specially on the prac- 
tical every-day character of the descendants of Treg- 
rehan. With ample bone, massive girth, heavy quar- 
ters and general show of constitution, the VanNatta 
cattle appealed always to those who had in mind 
the exacting requirements of the farm, feedlot and 
the open ranges of the west. The Shadeland stock 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 577 

niidoiibtedly displayed superior refinement. Neat 
heads and liorns, fore-and-aft finish, quality and 
Wilton character distingaiished most of Mr. Earl's 
well kept cattle. Mr. Clark, with less capital to 
back his work, applied his practical knowledge with 
extraordinary success to his Anxiety-Peerless com- 
bination, and year in and year out he held his own 
with marked success against all competition with 
thick smooth-fleshed cattle of his own breeding and 
feeding, coming- back with unfailing regularity to 
challenge all America. 

The first tilt of the interesting campaign of 1890 
was at Des Moines, where the Clark and Van- 
Natta herds, contrary to their usual custom, had 
journeyed westward to try conclusions with the 
trans-Mississippi country. These were days of in- 
tense interest to all who were following the fortunes 
of the "white faces"; the excitement attaching to 
the annual competitions attained unusual heights in 
the autumn of 1890 because the giants of the eastern 
circuit went out of their way to cross swords with 
their brethren of the west. Nothing could better 
illustrate this than the painstaking character of the 
reports made by the press at the time. It all seems 
like a dream at this distance, but as the author re- 
calls the subjoined notes on the Hereford class at 
Des Moines, written from personal observation at 
the time, it is but yesterday. John G. Imboden was 
the judge. 

"The ring for aged bulls brought out Mr. Van- 
Natta's Cherry Boy 26495, Mr. Yeoman's Beau Real 



578 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

3d 30769, Makin Bros.' Vincent 16691, and Elmen- 
dorf s Earl of Shadeland 30th 30725. The Indiana 
bull possesses much of the same character that has 
carried his famous sire Fowler 12899 to victory in 
many a hard-fought field — great show of constitu- 
tion, a wide deep chest, broad chine, well sprung 
rib, and an abundance of firm flesh, standing square- 
ly on his pins, moving with remarkable freedom of 
action, and showing a head and horn of most attrac- 
tive character. He scarcely has the scale of his sire, 
but has size sufficient and is of that commanding 
presence which never fails to impress. He was 
selected by the judge, after an examination of un- 
usual thoroughness, to head the class. He has for 
dam Cherry Pie 2d 17849 by Horatius 7163. A 
second was found in the first-prize winner of this 
same ring a year ago — Makin Bros.' Vincent, by 
Sir Evelyn 9650, as wide, thick and low as ever, his 
quarters of exceptional weight, but lacking of course 
the exceeding freshness of Mr. VanNatta's active, 
yet heavy, bull. Mr. Yeomans had hoped to get 
much further forward with his great son of Beau 
Real than third, and with a breeder instead of a 
butcher upon the bench his chances for preferment 
would certainly have been exceedingly bright; but 
the bull was finally relegated to a lower rank on 
account of a lack of firmness in his flesh — an unpar- 
donable fault of course under the hand of the ex- 
perienced buyer for the block. As to his depth 
and even disposition of meat throughout the carcass 
there can be no exceptions taken, and he shows a 
loin and covering over the hips that reveal clearly 
the impress of his wonderful sire. He comes of the 
same family of cows as did Sergeant Major and his 
dam was a daughter of 'the mighty Rudolph.' Three 
years ago upon the same spot in a close contest 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 579 

Beau Real himself had met and vanquished Fowler, 
and the revenge wreaked last week by the son of the 
defeated bull over the progeny of the victor upon 
the former occasion will be cited as affording fresh 
proof of the proposition that 'all things come to 
those who wait.' 

"In two-year-olds Day scored with Cameo, a son 
of Beau Real, remarkably mellow and deep in his 
covering. The VanNatta herd supplied the yearling 
winner, Rare Boy by Cherry Boy out of Rarity by 
Assurance, a sturdily built, well grown and level- 
fleshed young bull and, like all the Tregrehans, ac- 
tive as a cat. 

''The aged cow class was a strong one, and was 
deservedly headed by Harry Yeomans' Flora, by 
Godolphin, a grand big yellow quality cow, with a 
top of the rarest sort, and a fine cow calf at foot by 
Bellman. The purchase of this great-backed cow 
at Mr. Fowler's Nebraska sale, in thin condition at 
an absurdly low price, and the honors reaped by 
her at this show, afford striking illustration of the 
opportunities often presented by these dull times in 
cattle for good judges to make capital investments. 
Bought for a song because not sold in show fix, she 
has easily developed, under the skillful hand of Mr. 
Yeomans, into the best Hereford cow seen at this 
exhibition. The same owner had forward the Pont- 
ing-bred Moweaqua Lass, by Defiance, a gem of a 
cow with a world of flesh carried near to the ground. 
Mr. Elmendorf was represented by the well known 
Anxiety cows Flossie and Horatia 3d, but the former 
sliould have been left in pasture. It is unfortunate 
that a cow that had been almost invincible in her 
bloom should be forced into the fighting after all 
her prospects of winning have long since 'gone 
glimmering.' Flossie had served her time. 



580 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

''In two-year-old heifers Elmeiidorf was placed 
first with Lily by Autocrat, VanNatta second with 
Jessie by Fowler, and Day third with Mabel by Sir 
Evelyn 2d. No decision of the week created more 
discussion than this, and it is not likely that any 
large number of people could agree as to how the 
heifers should be ranked. Many thought Mabel en- 
titled to head the class on account of her great sub- 
stance, evenness and quantity of flesh, and superior 
quarters, but Mr. Imboden faulted her forward as 
being too open at the top of the shoulder-blades. 
Lily was certainly more thoroughly feminine in her 
forequarters, her blades being nicely laid. Though 
not so strong behind as Mabel, she was rather neater 
in her bone, and while perhaps a bit hollow in her 
loin, showed neither the dimple of Jessie in her 
back nor the slight, very slight, disposition to droop 
in the middle seen in Mabel. After selecting Lily, 
for the reasons named, for first, Mr. Imboden hesi- 
tated long between Jessie and Mabel for second. 
He recognized the strength of Mr. Day's fine heifer 
and evidently disliked to set her so low in the list, 
but he regarded the open crops as sufficient in the 
case of a breeding female to warrant him in scaling 
her down to third. The VanNatta heifer that 
stepped into second has the same broad chine and 
good rib seen in all the members of the Indiana herd. 

' ' In the yearling ring six of the twelve head shown 
were superlatively good, viz.: Elmendorf's Dazzle 
and Tottie, VanNatta 's Gipsy Girl, Makins' Geneve, 
Yeomans' Melody 19th, and Cosgrove's Wilton Le 
Sueuress 43d. " Mr. Yeomans' "Washington twins, 
Fair Maid and Maiden Fair, were also heifers of 
fine promise, but the company was 'fast.' Mr. Im- 
boden worked faithfully upon the shapely six and 
finallv drew the Elmendorf entries for first and 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 581 

second and Makin Bros.' Geneve for third. Dazzle, 
the blue ribbon heifer, is a granddaughter of Mr. 
Parmelee's Sir Garnet, and is well grown, good 
backed, and level-quartered. Tottie by Saracen, the 
second-prize winner, is a remarkably thick-loined 
low-legged heifer with a fine coat. She might be a 
little nicer in her touch, however, and is a bit rough 
at the tailhead. Geneve (the unbeaten calf of 1889), 
by Duke of Hesse, a son of Caractacus, has made a 
decidedly meaty yearling, but has a trace of un- 
evenness in her flesh. Mr. VanNatta's Gipsy Girl 
is by Blondin, a son of Sidney (he by Sir Bartle 
Frere out of the great cow Lark and now at the 
head of Hon. James M. Turner's herd), and is an 
elegant heifer, though lacking the age of some of her 
rivals. 

''One of the prettiest shows of the week was the 
line of twelve snappy white-faced heifer calves. 
Early maturity was written all over them, from 
their broad heads and protruding neck-veins to their 
well covered rumps, but VanNatta's big level 
Nancy, by Lord Fowler, was scarcely to be denied 
premier place. She is a good bodied calf with fine 
back and full lines all around. The Iowa Hereford 
Cattle Company's Maiden Fair 2d by Washington, a 
smoothly covered seven-months calf, made a good 
second, and Cosgrove's Wiltona 15tli, by Wild Eyes, 
a tidy level lassie, claimed the third. Makin Bros.' 
Minerva 2d, by Don Carlos from an Anxiety 4th 
dam, a good fleshed, yellow red, was 'blanked.' " 

The male championship of the class developed an 
interesting duel between Cherry Boy, the first-prize 
aged bull, on the one side and Mr. Day's blue ribbon 
two-year-old Cameo on the other. It certainly is a 
high tribute to old Beau Real to record that with 



582 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

but two of his get on exhibition at this fair each in 
turn was found richly enough furnished to give the 
showy son of Fowler a hard wrestle for his honors. 
In females there was delay in adjusting the rela- 
tive claims of the Yeomans cow and the Day and 
Elmendorf heifers, but the matured animal showed 
too much spread of top for her younger adversaries 
and received the ballot for best Hereford female. 

At Lincoln, with Mr. Gosling on the bench, Vin- 
cent was the winner over Earl of Shadeland 30th, 
Beau Eeal 3d, and Star Wilton 4th, second place 
being assigned to the son of Beau Real. Mr. Gosling 
had never altogether shared in the popular esti- 
mate of the Elmendorf entry. Cameo was the only 
two-year-old on exhibition. Makin's Good Luck was 
first in the yearlings, and Mr. Havens drew the blue 
in the bull calf class with a son of Star Wilton 4th 
out of a The Grove 3d mother, shown at nine 
months and after this victory sold to Mr. Sears. 

Flora was again first in the aged cow class, and 
Elmendorf was second with Horatia 3d. In two- 
year-olds Mabel was chosen, being preferred upon 
this ocasion to Lily. Mr. Havens won a prize at 
this show for get of sire on four richly furnished 
calves by Star Wilton 4th. 

At Topeka on the following week Vincent was 
again preferred to Earl of Shadeland 30th. Elmen- 
dorf had both prizes in the cow class, and Lily was 
given the premier place among the two-year-olds, 
although later, in the competition for a Hereford 
association special, Horatia 3d was placed above her. 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 583 

Messrs. Clark and Fowler & VanNatta had 
sliipped tlieir herds from Des Moines to Hamline, 
where they met local Minnesota competition, fur- 
nished mainly by the Cosgrove Co. Cherry Boy de- 
feated Peerless Wilton, no two-year-olds were shown, 
and in yearlings Mr. VanNatta had first on Rare 
Boy. In the cow class Peerless 3d received first, 
with VanNatta 's Celandine second. Peerless 3d 
was shown this year at a weight of 1,750 pounds. 
Celandine was the dam of Chicago, a promising hull 
calf even then in training for the forthcoming 
World's Columbian Exposition. In two-year-old 
heifers Mr. VanNatta 's Jessie, by Fowler, was the 
victor, and among the yearlings Clark was first with 
Horatia 4th, own sister to Horatia 3d. 

The Eastern Circuit of 1890. — The shows east 
of the Mississippi commenced this year at Detroit, 
where Merrill & Fifield, Sotham & Stickneys, James 
M. Turner and R. G. Hart put up an interesting 
fight. In aged bulls Mr. Turner's Sidney 16574, by 
Sir Bartle Frere out of Mr. VanNatta 's show cow 
Lark by Rodney, was sent to the front, the second 
ribbon being placed on Sotham &, Stickneys' Per- 
fection 30079, a deep-fleshed and attractive son of 
Sir Wilfred out of Lemon 2d by The Grove 3d. His 
owners exhibited at this same show the more highly 
fitted bull Harold 21141, that had been shown so 
successfully since a yearling as a member of the 
Curry herd, and expected to win with him. This 
was in fact his first defeat. 

In the cow class Merrill & Fifield had a popular 



584 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

first in their ])oautifiil Lovely 2d 21977, as yet un- 
beaten. In a class of nine two-year-old heifers Soth- 
ani & Stickneys were first with Miss Archibald A 2d, 
daughter of the yoinii'' bull Archibald A, previously 
alluded to in these notes, that had in the meantime 
been exported to South America. In yearling' heif- 
ers Sotliam & Stickneys had first on Purity, second 
on Mystic and third on Gay Lady. The herd prize 
and the bull-with-two-of-his-get ribbon both went to 
Merrill & Fifield. These same herds came together 
again at the Michigan State Fair on the following 
week with somewhat varying results, the herd prize 
falling to Sotliam & Stickneys. 

At Columbus there was a very light show in 1890, 
Sotham & Stickneys and Elijah Field, Camden, 0., 
being the only exhibitors. While the Sotham & 
Stickneys cattle were not seen further in this sea- 
son's circuit, this year marked the l)eginning of a 
long series of exhibits on both eastern and western 
circuits by Mr. Sotham, who set out to devote his 
energies largely to the refinement of the Hereford 
type, more particularly in respect to head and horn. 
We shall meet him again. 

At the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee Thomas 
Clark and the Cosgrove herd came down from Ham- 
line, and were met by the herd of J. J. Williams, the 
Clark cattle receiving most of the first and champ- 
ionship awards. 

There was little doing at the Indiana State Fair 
of 1890 in the Hereford class, exhibits being made 
only by two local firms with no special pretensions 



SOME KUUblNG DEMONSTRATIONS 585 

SO far as showyard fitting was concerned. These 
were the herds of Parkhurst & Son and G. W. Har- 
ness & Son. Messrs. Harness had first in the aged 
bull class with Oregon, sired by Careful out of a 
Prince Edward 2d cow. This bull had formerly been 
in service in the herd of Sealmry & Sample. The 
Parkhursts showed the Garfield bull, Earl of 
Shadeland 20th, in breeding condition, receiving sec- 
ond prize. The Messrs. Harness had first in the 
two-year-olds on Earl of Shadeland 41st. Park- 
hursts had first in aged cows with Elziua, and 
Messrs. Harness second with Perfection, a daughter 
of old Romeo. 

At the Illinois State Pair Cherry Boy had a walk- 
over again, defeating Earl of Shadeland 30tli and 
Peerless Wilton. Mr, Earl received first in two- 
year-olds on Earl of Shadeland 47th, by Garfield out 
of a Sir Bartle Frere dam, broad at the chine, with 
a good head and well sprung in the rib. VanNatta 
had second on a low-legged bull of good scale called 
Armour 36916, by Bloudin out of Fancy Arrow 2d. 
Rare Boy was first in yearlings, and Earl Wilton 
36tli was second. Mr. Earl's Captain Grove by 
Earl Grove 4th out of Cordelia by Colorado, a rich, 
low-bodied, strong-backed, wide-headed calf, was 
first among l)ull calves; he was tlion sold to Capt. 
Scarlett, wlio had some time before succeeded Mr. 
Yeomans in charge of the herd of the Iowa Here- 
ford Cattle Co. and was now managing a new Iowa 
enterprise. 

Mr. J. B. Cam]), of Harristowii, was iho judge 



586 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

upon this occasion, and in tlie Hereford cow class 
created some consternation by sending tlie blue to 
Elmendorf s Etiquette 11247, an extra good cow by 
Anxiety 6th, but now wanting in bloom. Peerless 3d, 
that stood second, was the almost unanimous choice 
of the spectators for the head of the line. She was 
at this time a show cow of the best type, with nobly 
arched ribs thrown well down, thick fore-roasts, and 
full loins. Elmendorf's Lily headed the two-year- 
olds, Mr. Clark's Bess standing second. 

Nothing more attractive than a line of well fitted 
Hereford heifers is ever seen in our western show- 
yards, and the 15 yearlings at Peoria this year ex- 
cited universal admiration. Mr. Earl's Shadeland 
Cora, by Earl of Shadeland 22d out of a Colorado 
dam, drew the blue, with Elmendorf's Tottie slated 
for the red. Next came nine beautiful calves, the 
honor falling again to Shadeland, this time on Shade- 
land Fairy, also by Earl of Shadeland 22d — a calf 
with exceptional rib, full of flesh and hair, decidedly 
superior along back arid loin. Her weak point was 
her quarters. Clark was second on Plum, one of the 
best calves of any breed out this season, a daughter 
of Peerless Wilton out of Peerless 3d. Senator 
Harris was called in to award the group and champ- 
ionship prizes. He ranked VanNatta's herd first 
and made Cherry Boy champion bull. The class 
decision on cows was reversed. Peerless 3d being 
adjudged best Hereford female in the showyard. 
The prize for best four animals under four years 
the get of one sire drew out a strong display, rep- 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 587 

resenting the progeny of Peerless Wilton, Earl of 
Shadeland 22d, Defiance and Grimley, the Peerless 
Wiltons winning out, with the Ponting cattle second. 
The Shows of 1891.— On the western circuit a 
new Richmond now entered the field — Thomas 
Higgins of Council Grove, Kans., who had collected 
a valuable lot of Loth breeding and show cattle, 
purchasing among other celebrities Cherry Boy.* 

*John Steward prepared for the author about this date the 
appended sketch of Cherry Boy which is deemed worthy of per- 
manent preservation in these pages: 

"Cherry Boy was calved April 5, 1S86, so is now in his four- 
teenth year. His dam was imported Cherry Pie 2d 17849, bred 
by Mr. Stephen Robinson, sired by Horatius, one of old Horace's 
best sons, second dam Cherry Pie, by Docklow, by Above All, bred 
by Mr. J. Hewer and tracing- back through this Cherry Pie fam- 
ily to Sir Thomas and Sir Benjamin. Cherry Pie 2d was a me- 
dium-sized cow with an extra fine head, a splendid coat of hair, 
and altogether showed much breed character. She was a good 
breeder, having produced to the service of Fowler not only 
Cherry Boy, but Cherry Lad, many years used by Mr. Ohl, Iowa 
City, la., and Cherry Girl, Mr. J. M. Curtice's fine breeding cow. 
I mention these last two animals to show Cherry Boy was no 
freak, but the result of mating two good individuals backed up 
by a long line of well bred prize-winning ancestors on both 
sides. While here I will call attention to the fact that Cherry 
Boy and Fowler were both spring and early summer calves: this 
is worth noticing, for while most breeders mate their animals 
to have them produce calves in late fall and early winter, and 
so have long ages for the show calves, I could mention many 
instances where the best calf of a season's crop was dropped in 
the spring or summer. 

"Cherry Boy did not have special care or handling until over a 
year old, which proved to be a mistake. As he was a high- 
strung nervy fellow, it took considerable time and patience to 
get him used to handling for the showring. He was from the 
start a great feeder and had a good milking mother, which very 
essential trait has been transmitted to the majority of his daugh- 
ters. Any one who has seen him after studying the make-up, of 
a beef animal, noticing the masculine head, strong jaw and 
extra wide muzzle, could tell he was a feeder. Add to this his 
graceful drooping horn and large full eye, his round, well bal- 
anced body, on straight short legs, wide deep chest, extra full- 
ness through crops and heartgirth, an oval padded loin, smoothly 
laid-in hips, full thigh, bulging twist, deep rich dark-red-colored 
coat of curly hair, and lordly carriage, and the majority of breed- 
ers would esteem him as an impressive sire. He was a bull all 
over, proud as a peacock, active as a kitten; he needed neither 
whip nor prod to shape himself for inspection. I saw him in the 
paddocks a few w^eeks since, and while four years had passed 
since I cared for and fed him, he recognized my voice and was on 
dress parade immediately. Although of course only the shadow 
of his former self, there was still the same proud bearing, or 
what we used to call Cherry Boy 'get-up,' which he always had 
and which marked attractive showy appearance he has trans- 
mitted to all his offspring. In a recent conversation with his 



588 A HISTORY UF HEREFORD CATTLE 

With this son of Fowler at the head of his line Mr. 
Higgins made his initial show at Des Moines. 
Cherry Boy had beaten Earl of Shadeland 30th 
twelve months previous, but now the tables were 
turned. The son of Garfield in the capable hands 
of George Mason had put on a lot of flesh which 
was still smoothly carried, whereas Cherry Boy 
came back after a heavy season's service with some 
loss of bloom. The mellow-fleshed Cameo came 
along third, and as usual delighted the hands and 
eyes of good feeders. Cosgrove pulled the blue in 
two-year-olds with Wildy 15th, by Wild Eyes out of 
the big cow Bonnyface by Rudolph. He was shown 
at a weight of 1,665 pounds. John Gosling ex- 
hibited a few good cattle this season, from his place 
at Rockford, 111., and contested with ''Ned" Scar- 



owner I was tuld it is the same now as it used to be when I had 
charge of the herd — the visitor or prospective buyer, nine times 
out of ten, selects a Cherry Boy whetlier it be in stall or pasture. 
"Of his many showyard victories I shall only mention the 
championship at the Iowa State Fair in 1890, and at the Illinois 
State Fair at Peoria, where he was champion of liis breed and 
tied the Shorthorn champion Young- Abbotsburn for sweepstakes. 
While fitted for the showring several years in succession, he was 
always a very sure breeder, and I believe has as many calves 
recorded to his credit in the Hereford record as any bull of the 
breed. Nearly, if not quite, 300, witli still some more to register, 
makes his record as a - breeder remarkable. Not all of these 
calves were bred at Hickory Grove, as in the spring of '91 Mr. 
Thomas Higgins, of Council Grove, Kans., fell in love with 
Cherry Boy (then in his very best form) and after considerable 
parleying, purchasing a carload of females and paying $1,200 for 
him, "took him down to Kansas, where for two years he did very 
heavy service. 

'"In the spring of 1S93, while preparing an exliibit for the 
Woild's Fair, the bull we intended heading the show lierd met 
witli an accident wliich knocked him out, and as Mr. Higgins, on 
account of ill health, had by this time disposed of his entire 
herd to INIr. Anthony, Mr. VanNatta started me on a trip to Coun- 
cil Grove, with the result that when I returned to Hickory Grove 
Cherry Boy came back with me. At that time he was seven years 
old and owing to long continued heavy service and climatic 
changes we failed to have him in his old-time form and place at 
the Columbian: he stood at the head of the second-prize herd 
there, his yearling daughter Cherry Lass being one of the group. 

"Of a few of the great number of his prize-winning sons and 
dauglitrrs I shall make brief mention: Cherry Boy -d, sweep- 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 589 

lett for the ivd ribhoii in this class. Mr. Stockiiig" 
sent that tropliy, however, to Scarlett's Mountain 
Dew by Washington. Tlie same exhibitor had an 
easy first in the yearling ring in Captain Grove, 
first-prize calf at Peoria a year before, now devel- 
oping into a well grown, level bull. Elmendorf's 
Crusader, by Earl of Shadeland 30th, was second. 
Cosgrove was strong in bull calves, winning with 
Wildy 37th over Elmendorf's St. Louis, son of the 
famous Lily. 

Li cows it was Lily vs. Mabel again. As three- 
year-olds they were about as evenly balanced as they 
were in their two-year-old form. It will be remem- 
bered that Mr. Imboden preferred Lily and John 
Gosling went to Mabel at the Des Moines and Lin- 
coln shows of 1890. The result of Mr. Stocking's 
examination this vear confirmed the Imboden rat- 



stakes in calf and yearling form at Illinois and Iowa state fairs: 
Cherry Lass (full sister of last named,) and Wallflower with 
Cherry Duchess, winners at Des Moines in 1892, as all were the 
following year at the Columbian, Cherry Lass afterward being 
purchased and exhibited by Mr. Sotham; Wallflower and Cherry 
Duchess, purchased by Mr. George Redhead, the last named being 
a winner in cow class for him several successive years; Erma, 
exhibited by Mr. Funkhouser; Rare Boy, Elvira 3d and Minnie's 
Cherry, of Sunny Slope fame: Columbus, used several years by 
Mr. Tom Ponting : then, as recently as the late Kansas City Here- 
ford show, Lincoln 2d, Clodia and Miss Betsy 2d were all win- 
ners. To go on with this list would inake too long a story, or to 
mention the many valuable breeding cows of his get scattered 
through most of the prominent herds of the country, there being 
very few herds which have not some of the descendants of this 
famed sire and are proud of the ownership. 

"I cannot close this article without some brief mention of two 
of Cherry Boy's greatest sons, the steers Kodack and Cherry 
Brandy. The former was first in his class, in the first prize 
Hereford herd, and also a grand sweepstakes herd at the Chicago 
Fat Stock Show in '91. Cherry Brandy was sweepstakes of the 
breed at the World's Fair Fat Stock Show and also at Chicago 
the following year, and was conceded by all good judges to have 
been one of the most perfect steers ever exhibited. When the 
history of the noted Herefords of this decade is written, who 
will deny one of the most prominent pages for this grand old 
bull? Well may any breeder be proud to breed and bring out 
two such animals as old Fowler and his greatest son." 



590 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

ing, and in the subsequent showing for the Here- 
ford specials Col. Harris of Linwood passed a like 
judgment. However, it was practically a toss-up 
between the two. They were a pair of grand good 
cows in any company. Lily showed rather more 
finish and feminine character forward than did Ma- 
bel, and upon this one point the decisions rested. 
Lily still showed that trace of hollowness in her 
loins, but her competitor was a bit uneven in her 
top, and did not stand so well behind. Mabel was a 
thick massive cow, carrying a great wealth of flesh. 
A good third was found in Mr. Higgins' Maid of 
Orleton, not large, but nicely covered and neat. The 
same exhibitor's Ashton Beauty, a cow of marked 
substance, and Gosling's yellow-red Fantasma, not 
large, but meaty and full of quality, were good beasts 
unplaced. 

Cosgrove again came to the front in a ring of six 
two-year-olds, capturing first with Wiltona 15tli and 
second with Wiltona 22d. Wiltona 15th was an ex- 
ceptionally well furnished heifer, wide, low and 
smooth, although she might have been more re- 
fined about the head. She was round and well cov- 
ered, carrying her meat well down on the rib, and 
was an entirely satisfactory first. Wiltona 22d was 
a larger heifer but not so evenly filled, her size 
and weight bringing her the red. Elmendorf's 
Tottie, with her nice head, good neck-vein, and twist 
well filled, drew third position. In selecting Mr. 
Day's growthy daughter of Sir Evelyn 2d, May- 
flower, for premier honors among the yearlings a 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 591 

choice which many failed to approve was made. 
Mr. Higgiiis' Miss Wilton, a rare thick Beau Real 
heifer out of the celebrated Lady Wilton, named 
for second place, would have made a more popular 
winnner. Elmendorf's Hypatia, by Peerless Wil- 
ton, and a March calf, was third. Critics thought 
that the ignoring of Scarlett's good Washington 
heifer, Fair Maiden 2d, ripe, tidy, and smooth, but 
at some disadvantage as to age, was a palpable 
error. She let down a trifle in her back, but was all 
quality. In heifer calves the Cosgrove people du- 
plicated their remarkable record in two-year-olds, 
drawing the blue on Wiltona 31st and the red on Wil- 
tona 33d, Elmendorf following with a daughter of 
Earl of Shadeland 30th. 

For the best bull in the class Earl of Shadeland 
30th and the yearling Captain Grove were the chief 
competitors, and the big bull won. Lily was champ- 
ion cow. 

At the Lincoln state fair of 1891 James A. Funk- 
houser, Plattsburg, Mo., who was soon to become 
prominent as a breeder and exhibitor and who had 
already been elected President of the Hereford as- 
sociation, was called as judge. The herds of Hig- 
gins. Day and Elmendorf were before him, rein- 
forced by an exhibit made by John S. Carlyle of 
Chicago. 

John S. Carlyle. — It is not often that Scotchmen 
become enamored of the "white faces," but Car- 
lyle was for years one of their greatest admirers. 
He was a grocer by trade, but made the acquaint- 



592 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

aiice of the early (»xlii])itors at tlie Chicago shows. 
During the fairs and fat stoek competition we fear 
his customers often wondered what liad become of 
"the boss". Mr. C^arlyle was a keen witted, close 
student of Hereford character, and was never hap- 
pier than when arguing with owners or herdsmen 
as to the relative merits of the cattle he so enthusi- 
astically supported. At length his amintion to be- 
come an owner, breeder and exhibitor was gratified. 
While still retaining his Chicago business he bought 
a farm near Vesta, Neb., and made selections of 
foundation stock, largely from Sliadeland and from 
the herds near Beecher. While his venture prob- 
ably did not prosper financially, it is doubtful if any 
man ever lived who found greater pleasure than 
John S. Carlyle in the companionship of good cat- 
tle. This much is said concerning him because he 
was really one of the characters developed by the 
era of which we now speak. Carlyle made a brave 
fight at Lincoln, and later at the Illinois State Fair, 
against veteran showmen, and carried home prizes 
that served him as themes of conversation for 
months afterwards.* 



*Mr. Carlyle's Earl of Shadeland 12th was a son of Garfield and 
Tiny, a low-down, deep bodied, thick flesh-carrier, with good 
head, good back and loin, well filled at heart and g'irth, and of 
altogether very taking character. He was presented in every- 
day breeding condition only, and consequently was "not in it" 
with his better-fitted rivals. His cow Crystal Belle was of the 
same stamp, low to the ground, deep and wide, thick in her flesh 
and sweet in her general appearance. She was a seven-year-old 
daughter of Cedric by The Grove 3d, and was the dam of Clara 
Belle, the blue-ribbon winner at Peoria in 1889. For two-year- 
olds Mr. Carlyle showed Eletta 2d, by Peerless Wilton out of an 
Anxiety cow, and Princess Louise 5th, by Cedric out of a daugh- 
ter of Lord Wilton. This latter heifer was nicely conditioned, 
with a pretty head and neck, extra back and well filled loin, with 
ribs richly and evenly covered, and an extra good hindquarter. 
The plums of this string of cattle, however, were the yearlings 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 593 

Cherry Boy was preferred l)y Mr. Fuiikbouser to 
Earl of Shadeland 30tli, and Cameo came third. 
Crusader was first in yearlings and Carlyle had 
first on his ])ull calf Bobbie Burns over St. Louis. 
Lily was moved up above Mal)el in cows. Carlyle 
had first and fourth in two-year-olds on Princess 
Louise 5th by Cedric and Eletta 2d by Peerless 
Wilton. Tottie was second. In yearlings Carlyle 
had the great satisfaction of winning with Favor- 
ite by xVnxiety 3d, one of the most charming heifers 
of the old bull's get. Li calves Elmendorf had 
first on Blue Belle and Carlyle second on Annie 
Laurie. Earl of Shadeland 30th had the bull-with- 
get prize. Carlyle 's Crystal Belle won in the cow- 
with-produce class. Day took the herd prize. Lily 
was champion female and Cherrj^ Boy champion 
bull. 

Claude Makin judged the Higgins, Day and Elm- 
endorf herds at Topeka in the fall of 1891, revers- 
ing Funkhouser on aged bulls and yearlings. Lily 
beat Mabel again, for the fourth time that season. 



Favorite and Bonnie Sadie. In general appearance Favorite was 
one of the most attractive heifers we have ever seen, and if early 
maturity was sought it could be found in this almost perfectly 
formed daughter of Anxiety 3d. Her head and neck, smoothly 
covered shoulder perfectly laid, her broad chest and beautiful 
brisket, combined to make her particularly charming as she met 
you, and if faulted somewhat back of her hips, one could still 
apply to the balance of her well developed form a description of 
a perfectly formed little cow and in no way overestimate her. 
She was refined in character, and no term so fitly describes her 
as "sweet." Bonny Sadie was a granddaughter of Lady Godiva. 
She was not so fully matured as Favorite, but had a beautiful 
coat, was very straight in her lines and as smooth as an egg. 
Four calves completed the lot — two heifers and two young bulls. 
Of the former Annie Laurie was the better fleshed, but Mr. Car- 
lyle thought much of Heather Belle. The bull calves Bobbie 
Burns and What Care I were sons of Fanny and Crystal Belle 
respectively. Bobbie was a thick-bodied calf with good back and 
loin and full in the crops. His companion was not so meaty, but 
was exceptionally neat and clean-cut in his make-up, and could 
easily be put in extra form. 



594 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Eastern Circuit of 1891.— H. H. Clough, Eu- 
gene Fifield, and the Sotham Co., all of Michi- 
gan, and Elijah Field of Camden, 0., met at De- 
troit. Mr. Fifield beat Harold and Peerless of Rock- 
land with Alger. Sotham took the two-year-old 
bull ribbon with Harold 2d, and had first in cows 
with Miss Archibald A, besides first in two-year-old 
heifers on Mystic. At the Michigan State Fair Al- 
ger and Harold 2d again won. Fifield 's Accacia 
was first in senior cows and Sotham 's Miss Archi- 
bald A was second in three-year-olds. Mystic re- 
peated her Detroit victory. 

At the Ohio State Fair of 1891 Clough, Sotham, 
Elijah Field, Harness of Indiana, and John Savage 
of Elyria, 0., went before Mr. E. Baker of Elyria as 
judge. 

As both the Clough and Sotham herds were now 
about to come into national prominence we repro- 
duce below ''The Breeder's Gazette" comment on 
this important show. It will be observed that we 
here meet for the first time, in the bull calf class, 
Mr. Sotham 's afterwards famous sire Corrector: 

"Mr. Clough 's Peerless of Rockland, by Peerless 
Wilton out of Jessie by Anxiety 3d, led the ring 
for aged bulls. He is a bull of considerable scale, 
with a head full of Hereford character, a grand 
loin, very heavy quarters and a good hide. Mr. 
John Savage, Elyria, had second ticket with his 
Peerless Wilton bull, somewhat smaller, but truly 
fashioned and full of quality. Messrs. Harness had 
brought forward Earl of Shadeland 41st, and Mr. 
Field was represented by Hero 2d. In the two-year- 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 595 

old Harold 2d Mr. Sotlmm lias something which ap- 
proximates his ideal of a 'white face' bull. He has 
a beautiful head and horn, refined and yet mascu- 
line, he is much neater at the throat than the gen- 
erality of bulls of the breed. He has a well ribbed 
back which is deeply fleshed, and his quarters are of 
the improved sort. He was the only entry of his 
age. Yearlings were headed by the same exhibitor's 
Harilton, by Harold out of Gaybird, a daughter of 
the famous old Gaylass. He is a little shorter in the 
rib than Mr. Clough's Kodax, in fact there is a lit- 
tle less of him, but he has the advantage of the 
Rockland bull in quality and especially in the char- 
acter of the his head and horn. Kodax is a bull of 
depth and substance, with fine loin and level quar- 
ters. He had second honors in this ring. 

''Corrector, the latest calf from old Coral, drop- 
ped by the service of Harold, carried the winning 
ribbon among the calves for Mr. Sotham, and was 
followed by Mr. Clough's Florida, by Peerless of 
Rockland. Corrector is a very neat, smooth, evenly 
fleshed calf, well finished about his head and neck 
and holding a well sprung rib and good loin. 

''Miss Archibald A is a good cow not to show 
against. Probably this negative putting of the case 
will obviate the necessity of a detailed description. 
It is enough to say that she is one of the great 
young cows of the breed. She is a 'big little one' of 
the stamp which every feeder knows is the most 
profitable to handle and is full of flesh of prime 
quality disposed with rare smoothness. She easily 
stepped to the front in this competition and Mr. 
Clough's Millie of Rockland, by Romeo, a cow with 
beautiful head, grand loin and table-back, stood sec- 
ond. There were in this ring Mr. Sotham 's Lemon 
3d, Mr. Clough's Jessie, Mr. Field's Ida Wilton, 



596 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

and Messrs. 11 tiniess' Perfection and Jessie, the lat- 
ter big useful cows but not conditioned for this com- 
petition. Of Mr. Sotham's two-year-old heifers — 
Mystic by Royal Grove Jr., and Purity by Archi- 
bald — we rather prefer the first-named, and such 
was the rating they received at Detroit, but Mr. 
Baker reversed positions on this occasion, which 
more nearly squares with their owner's estimate 
of their merits. It is questionable whether the 
Michigan exhibitor was entitled to both ribbons in 
this ring, for Mr. Clough's Jewel 3d, by Sylvester, 
is a heifer of much substance, thicker and wider 
than either of the others but lacking a little of their 
quality and scarcely so refined in head and horn. 
Messrs. Harness had in Pet a heifer with a very 
handsome head and horn got by Earl of Shadeland 
41st, and Mr. Field showed Duchess 2d, a growthy 
heifer of Wilton blood, 

''From Mr. Clough's trio of yearlings — Cocoa- 
nut by Emperor of Rockland, New Years of Rock- 
land by Sylvester, and Lady Frances by Washing- 
ton — the first named was selected to wear the red, 
which here indicates first prize, and this was an- 
other overturning of a Detroit decision. Mr. Soth- 
am's Beaubois Beauty, a handsome little yellow- 
red, had second place. From the six calves Mr. 
Clougli drew both ribbons with a pretty pair — 
Actress and Jewel 5th. 

"Mr. Sotham's herd, headed by Harold 2d and 
including Miss Archibald A, Purity, Mystic and 
Beaubois Purity, was so strong in each member 
and so uniform in nearly all respects that it proved 
a little too heavy metal for the excellent collection 
from Rockland which was headed by Peerless of 
Rockland. Messrs. Harness had the ticket for three 
cows each with her own calf, with Perfection, Jes- 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 597 

sie and Pet, the calves being by Earl of Shadeland 
41st. The award for the get of a bull fell to Mr. 
Field on the progeny of Hero 2d, which is a son of 
Constable's Hero, the Regulus bull once owned at 
Beecher. It was rather questionable as between 
this exhibit and that made by the Earl of Shade- 
land 41st. Mr. Clough had the ribbon for cow with 
two of her calves on Jessie 5th, with her massive 
son Peerless of Rockland by her side, together with 
her young heifer by Sylvester." 

At Indianapolis on the following week the Clough 
and Sotham herds met again, this time with Col. T. 
S. Moberly of Richmond, Ky., a leading Shorthorn 
exhibitor of the day, as the arbiter of Hereford 
fashion. Rightly or wrongly, as one pleases to take 
it, he reversed the Columbus awards in every class 
in which there was competition, save only that 
for aged cows. 

In a notable breed contest here Sotham 's Harold 
2d gained the two-year-old ribbon — the only one 
saved to the Herefords out of a nerve-racking con- 
test all along the line with a great lot of Shorthorns 
and Aberdeen-Angus. 

At the Illinois show of 1891 John Imboden had 
one of the hard days of his long career in the jury 
box — especially when the cows and heifers came in 
view. Clark, Elmendorf, Sotham, Carlyle, John 
Steward, "Ned" Scarlett and Fowler & Bassett, 
Long Point, 111., supjplied the trouble. Fowler &y 
Bassett were showing Armour 36968, exhibited 
twelve months before by VanNatta. He was a bull 
showing more quality than Earl of Shadeland 30th, 



598 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

but the old hero of so many contests was still im- 
pressive enough to win. Probably no greater con- 
trast could readily be imagined than that presented 
by these two antagonists in the matter of color. 
Garfield's son was a very dark red, too dark in fact, 
while Armour was a real golden yellow. In two- 
year-olds Sotham's Harold 2d forged to the front 
over Clark's Phil Armour by Anxiety 3d. Scar- 
lett's square-ended mellow-handling low-flanked 
Captain Grove was the winner among the year- 
lings. In bull calves John Steward (Fowler & Van- 
Natta 's former herd manager of whom we shall hear 
more as our story progresses) took first with a 
youngster, his own personal property, by Cherry 
Boy out of a Star Grove dam, that proved too much 
for Sotham's Corrector to handle. 

The cow class, a memorable one, was headed by 
Lily, her chief rivals being Peerless 2d and her 
six-year-old daughter Peerless 3d and Sotham's 
''big little one," Miss Archibald A. Peerless 3d 
was placed second. The heifer classes were excep- 
tionally fine, and as indicating the type and quality 
being produced at that date by home breeders we 
quote again from "The Breeder's Gazette": 

"In two-year-olds Imboden rather crossed the 
judgment of a majority of the Hereford-breeding 
contingent present by sending Fowler & Bassett's 
big Victoria Belle to the head of the list. She is a 
grand-topped heifer of tremendous scale, but plain 
at both ends. John S. Carlyle's Princess Louise 
was slated for second money, leaving Clark's Hora- 
tia 4th, Carlyle's Eletta, and Elmendorf's Tottie 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 599 

■unrecognized. The first-prize heifer, while lack- 
ing in refinement, is richly furnished all along 
her back from fore-roasts to loin and is besides big 
and deep through her heart. Princess Louise and 
Horatia 4tli are not cast in so big a mold. They 
are of a neater, better-finished type and full of flesh 
as well. Horatia, with her pretty incurving down- 
turned horns and sweet countenance, meets you 
more effectively than either of her rivals, is shown 
with a great coat, has nicely arched ribs and excep- 
tionally neat bone, but in her quarters is not so 
good as the Princess. The latter is carrying plenty 
of flesh, but shows that inclination to roll on the 
rib that is so apt to be developed by quick-feeding 
cattle. She is of a meaty type, near to the ground, 
with good width, and deserved all she won, if not 
more. Those who thought that a richly meated 
table-back should not carry a roughish head and un- 
satisfactory rumps to the post of honor would have 
set Horatia second. 

"It was a charming array of yearlings (eleven in 
number) that were moved into position, and when 
it is said that Carlyle had an outstanding winner in 
his beautifully brought out Favorite little more 
need be added. This splendid daughter of Anxiety 
3d was shown in the very height of showyard form. 
To the bloom that always attaches to a well fed and 
finely modeled yearling is added the catchy embon- 
. point of the heifer six months gone with her first 
[calf. Nothing is lacking to complete the picture 
save a little lightness of thigh and a trace of un- 
evenness about the loin. Generally speaking, how- 
ever, she is a wonderfully furnished, smooth, thick- 
fleshed heifer of much breadth and depth, and re- 
markably developed for age. Indeed, as a speci- 
men of early maturity she is one of the sensation^ 



600 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of tlie year — practically a fiuislied cow in her year- 
ling' form. After she had been set aside to head 
the class there was a spirited contest for second 
place between Clark's Plum (dam Peerless 2d) and 
Scarlett's Fair Maiden 2d, by Washington, the po- 
sition finally being held by the latter. The former 
w^ore one of those shaggy coats which Clark suc- 
ceeds so well in growing. Moreover, she begins 
well and ends well, her pretty face and wide fore- 
head attracting one from the front and her good 
thighs satisfying- the eye as she goes away. 

"The decision which made Carlyle's Annie Lau- 
rie first in heifer calves, and Elmendorf 's Bluebelle 
second, with Clark's Annie (by Anxiety) and Fow- 
ler & Bassett's thick Bonnie (by Orphan Boy) un- 
placed was not altogether satisfactory. Bluebelle 
is a furry-haired, mellow-handling, well grown calf 
with typical head and should have been first, with 
Clark or Carlyle second. Carlyle and Clark both 
have good calves and richly bred (the former by 
Earl of Shadeland 12th from the famous Felicia), 
but we cannot grant the license of either of them 
to win in the presence of the Elmendorf entry." 

Elmendorf received the herd prize at the capable 
hands of David Fyffe, Sotham receiving second. 
R. C. Auld made Earl of Shadeland 30th champion 
male and Miss Archibald A champion female. 

Death of C. M. Culbertson.— While the ''white 
faces'" were carrying all before them at the Fat 
Stock Show held at the Chicago Stock Yards during 
the first week in December, 1891, Mr. C. M. Culbert- 
son, the man who had done so much towards the 
successful introduction of the breed, passed away at 
Arkansas Hot Springs, whither he had journeyed in 



SOME KOUiSING DEMONSTRATIONS 601 

the hope of securing relief from a complication of 
disorders incident to advanced age. He had passed 
the four-score milestone. 

Hereford Constitutions in Evidence. — The fact 
that Vincent and Earl of Shadeland 30th were 
able to come back again at the shows of 1892 af- 
forded fresh proof of the staying qualities, the con- 
stitution, and the vigor of the Hereford. Ability to 
stand up under the pressure of long-continued high 
feeding for show demonstrates the reverse side of 
the claim made for the "white faces" as the hardi- 
est of all the improved breeds of cattle of the beef 
type. Second only in point of practical interest 
for cattle-growers to the demonstration of constitu- 
tion being made during this same period by the 
Hereford bulls on the open ranges of the far west 
was the record of such bulls as Fowler, Vincent, 
and Earl of Shadeland 30th at the shows of the 
cornbelt states. Animals lacking in real virility 
would deteriorate quite as rapidly under the ad- 
verse influences of over-feeding as under the ef- 
fects of hardships suffered under the conditions 
prevailing in the arid storm-swept areas of the tree- 
less plains and intermountain grazing grounds that 
supported the cattle industry beyond the lOOtli 
meridian. 

At Des Moines, in September, 1892, the sturdy 
son of Garfield, the Earl of Shadeland 30th, so 
often mentioned hitherto in these notes, was again 
awarded pride of place as best aged Hereford bull, 
hut the perennially popular Vincent, now in his 



602 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

seventh year, pushed him for the honor. One of 
Iowa's most practical stockmen, Peter Mouw of 
Orange City, who had espoused the cause of the 
Herefords, won third in this competition with Cas- 
tello, by Dromio, at six years. As good a bull as 
Cameo had to fail of recognition. The spectacle of 
these bulls presenting such form at such ages, after 
extended periods of high feeding and active serv- 
ice, recalls those early days in Herefordshire when 
their prototypes were hurling their weight into the 
yoke and were in the very prime of their useful- 
ness at from six to ten years of age. 

Meantime, new recruits were constantly joining 
the Hereford forces. Redhead Bros., of Des 
Moines, had been convinced of the merit of the 
breed and had established a good herd with the 
prize-winning Shadeland-bred Captain Grove, pur- 
chased from Mr. Scarlett, at its head. He was sent 
into this competition somewhat out of form, but still 
good enough to win. Cosgrove captured the red 
with Wildy 29th, and VanNatta was third with Chi- 
cago. In yearlings Cherry Boy 2d came to the 
front, a well developed young bull with rather 
prominent hips, and Makin Bros, were second on 
Anxiety Boy. In bull calves the Makins were first 
with Vincent 9th, a level short-legged son of their 
rare old bull of that name. 

Speaking of the power of the senior bulls to hold 
their own, we have now to record that Lily once 
again led the aged cows, Cosgrove following with 
the dark-colored massive Wilton Le Sueuress 43d, 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 603 

and our old friend Mabel coming third. Makin 
Bros, had bought Mr. Henry's Countess of Ross- 
land, by Prince Edward, and they sent her into this 
class along with Julia Wilton and Stately lOtli, all 
of good Hereford type and quality, but here un 
placed. Day got first in the two-year-old heifers 
on Hypatia by Peerless Wilton, Redhead Bros, 
were second on Lulu, by Routing's Anxiety 3d from 
a Blenheim dam, very thick but rather over-done. 
The Makins' Stately 13th by Washington, unplaced, 
would have been preferred by many. VanNatta had 
both blue and red on a remarkable pair of yearling 
heifers — Cherry Duchess by Cherry Boy and Anna- 
bel by Star Grove 1st, the latter destined to rare 
honors in 1893. John Letham was at this date 
working with his good friend Steward on the Van- 
Natta show cattle, and handled here the blue ribbon 
heifer calf Cherry Lass, own sister to the first-prize 
yearling bull Cherry Boy 2d and a heifer with a 
lot of hair and flesh, extra in her spring of rib. 

Earl of Shadeland 30th and Lily had the class 
I championships, and we shall see the old bull yet 
another year in the biggest battle of his career. 

At Lincoln in 1892 Mr. Funkhouser again offi- 
ciated as judge, the show being made up of the en- 
tries of Messrs. Day, Elmendorf, Carlyle, and Makin 
Bros. Earl of Shadeland bested Vincent; no two- 
fyear-olds were shown. Carlyle won in yearlings on 
Bobbie Burns, and Vincent 9th was calf winner. In 
[cows it was Lily once again, with the Makins ' State- 
ly second, and Mabel third. Carlyle had both first 



604 A IIISTOKY UF HEREFUKD CATTLE 

and second in two-year-old heifers on Bonnie Sadie 
and Favorite ; the Scotchman was first also in year- 
lings on Fanny Mack, while Elmendorf drew the 
blue in calves on Lady Daylight. The champion- 
ships were as at Des Moines. 

The Kansas show of 1892 was not up to the usual 
mark. Makin Bros, and Elmendorf divided the rib- 
bons, with Earl of Shadeland 30th and Lily again 
in the stellar positions. 

Tom Clark and Harry Fluck, the latter a high- 
class English herdsman now starting into Hereford 
breeding on his own account, exhibited at the Min- 
nesota State Fair in competition with Cosgrove. It 
was rather a light show, reflecting the slackness of 
the trade which had now been in evidence for some 
time. Clark's Sanhedrim 46180, an in-bred The 
Grove 3d two-year-old of Culbertson's breeding, 
got by Star Grove 10th out of Grove Maid 18th, 
was champion male and Cosgrove 's wonderfully 
deep-fleshed cow Wilton Le Sueuress was adjudged 
best female. These same herds were seen at Mil- 
waukee the following week, Sanhedrim again head- 
ing the bulls, and Clark's two-year-old heifer Plum 
was set above the Cosgrove cow. 

Death of Anxiety 3d. — During the first week 
in September, 1892, Anxiety 3d, whose daughters 
had been so phenomenally successful at the great 
shows for a number of years, was humanely killed 
to end his suffering from rheumatic afflictions that 
had for some months rendered the old veteran 's life 
a burden to himself. He was in his twelfth year. 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 605 

The Eastern Circuit of 1892. — As nsunl in 
those days the ball started rolling east of the river 
with the annual battle between the Michigan and 
Ohio herds at Detroit. Clongh, Fifield, Sotham and 
Turner were still in the running. Alger beat Har- 
old 2d, while Turner's Peerless Wilton 13th out- 
ranked Clough's Kodax. At the New York State 
Fair George N. Bissell of Milford, N. Y., and 
. George 0. Holcoml) of Troy, Pa., presented excel- 
lent herds, the ribbons being tied by John Vander- 
bilt, manager for Erastus Corning. 

In Ohio it was Clough vs. Sotham, with John 
Hooker of New London as ''runner-up." L. P. 
Sisson, a West Virginia breeder of Devons, allotted 
the prizes. Harold 2d was sent to the front as 
senior bull over Hooker's Grover Morton. Kodax 
had no competition in two-year-olds and Corrector 
scored among the yearlings. Miss Archibald A 2d 
headed the cows ; Clough 's Cocoanut, a Wilton-Anx- 
'iety combination, with handsome front and splen- 
did loin, was best two-year-old, and the same own- 
er's Actress was the blue ribbon yearling. 

The Clough and Sotham herds, supplemented by 
entries of West & Duncan, Windsor, 111., made up 
the Hereford show the following week at Indianapo- 
lis. Harold 2d, Kodax and Miss Archibald A 2d 
were again honored. 

Funkhouser Enters the Lists. — A Missouri 
breeder who now came rapidly to the fore in Here- 
ford cattle breeding circles put in his first appear- 
ance as an exhibitor on the big circuits at the II- 



606 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

linois state Fair of 1892 at Peoria. This was James 
A. Funkliouser of Plattsburg, whose cattle will come 
in for frequent mention before our narrative ends. 
It was a large and good class that Harry Yeomans 
was here called upon to judge. 

First of all there was the inevitable Earl of 
Shadeland 30th, accompanied by his old traveling 
companion Vincent; also Harold 2d — all familiar 
"white faces." Their right of way was challenged,, 
however, and, as is turned out, successfully blocked 
by new antagonists. Mr. VanNatta had always put 
his money on the Tregrehan blood. He knew its 
prepotency and the stamina that went with it. But 
he was wise enough also to know that in the get of 
Anxiety 5th he possessed another valuable blood 
element. His imported cow White Spark 2d, of 
Stephen Robinson's breeding, got by Horatius 7163, 
he by old Horace, had produced to the cover of 
Anxiety 5th in 1885 the bull Saracen 23188, that was 
used in the herd quite freely. He sired among other' 
good calves the bull Hengler 37003, dropped in 1888 
by the imported cow Lady Hartington, by Harting- 
ton 4010, son of The Grove 3d. This calf had, there- 
fore, a double cross of Horace, besides carrying the 
old Anxiety blood, and he developed into a bull good 
enough to win the blue ribbon in this Peoria compe- 
tition — not a sensational show bull, but with good 
Hereford character, broad ribs, and well fleshed, 
although not just as even along his back as might 
be wished. Mr. Funkhouser had come into posses- 
sion by purchase from Tom Clark, of one of the 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 607 

Hereford treasures of his time — Hesoid 2d 40679, 
bred by George W. Henry from imp. Hesoid (he of 
the guy ropes referred to in our notes on one of 
the early Chicago shows) and of Curry's Anita by 
Harold. We have already spoken of his sire Hesoid 
as one of the richest of The Grove 3d bulls. Har- 
old we recognize as Mr. Curry's good show bull, 
and sire of Sotham's Corrector. Harold's sire was 
Highland Laird, son of Horatius, so we observe that 
Hesiod 2d, as well as Hengler, had two lines to Hor- 
ace, the sire of The Grove 3d. Like most bulls of 
this blood Hesoid 2d seemed to lack stretch and 
scale, but at three years old he here tipped the 
beam at 1,950 pounds, being compactly fashioned. 
He was drawn for second place, and in after years 
made the reputation of the Funkhouser herd as a 
sire of good Herefords.* The old Earl of Shade- 
land 30th fell back to third. 

This was something of a Grove 3d day, for in 
two-year-olds Clark's Sanhedrim, with two lines to 
the old bull, went to the top of the two-year-olds. 
Clough's Kodax was second. Captain Grove and 
Chicago were passed over. In yearlings Cherry 
Boy 2d came first, but the second prize winner, Mr. 
Tod Benjamin's Wilton Grove, by Sir Wilfred out 
of Lemon 2d by The Grove 3d, was greatly ad- 
mired and might have been first instead of second. 

♦Speaking of Hesiod 2d, Thomas Clark teUs this interesting 
story: 

"I bought his mother Anita at one of G. W. Henry's sales. 
She was carrying the calf which I called Hesiod 2d. He was 
dropped an immatured calf at seven months, not larger than a 
jackrabbit. We had to hold him up to Fuclt for three weeks. I 
sold him with two other bulls to Funkhouser at eight months 
old — $1,000 for the three." 



608 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Viiiceiit 9tli was Ix'sl bull calf, with Cloiift'li's Actor 
second. Clark's Lars, a youngster witli a fiitnre, 
was one of the ''also rans" in this company. 

Few better cow classes had been seen in the west 
than that which was finallj^ led by old Lily, with 
Peerless 3d in second place. As flesh carriers they 
were certainly great Hereford s ; Imt for quality one 
could not but go in raptures over Funkhouser's 
Petunia 3d or Clough's Jewel 3d. Clark's great two- 
year-old Plum was preferred in the next class to 
Clough's Cocoanut. Li yearlings VanNatta's beau- 
ties, Cherry Duchess and Annabel, were again first 
and second. In calves the same herd won with Wall- 
flower. Mr. Funkhouser gained the herd prize. 

At the Illinois shows of those days there was a 
''sweepstakes by ages" open to all beef breeds. At 
this exhibition of '92 Moberley's celebrated Short- 
horn Young Abbotsburn won in the aged bulls, 
Clark's Sanhedrim in the two-year-olds, VanNatta's 
Cherry Boy 2d in yearlings, and the Makins' Vin- 
cent 9th the bull calf championship, all at the hands 
of that sterling Shorthorn breeder Charles B. Dus- 
tin. In an open class for best cow with calf at foot 
Funkhouser's Petunia 3d, by Anxiety 4th, was 
chosen. 

By this time all interest was beginning to cen- 
ter upon the World 's Columbian Exposition at Chi- 
cago, to be held in 1893. With that event the cur- 
tain fell upon a decade that had witnessed a won- 
derful development of interest in the white-faced 
breed. 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 609 

World's Columbian Exposition. — This exhibi- 
tion still unmatched in the field of international 
events of like character was held at Jackson 
Park, Chicago, in 1893. As a great live stock 
department had been provided by Chief Buchanan 
of the agricultural division practically no attempt 
was made to hold the usual fairs that autumn in the 
middle western states. 

The Hereford association and the leading exhi- 
bitors of that period planned a presentation of the 
''white faces" that should fittingly commemorate 
the success the breed had now achieved. The display 
was particularly notable for the fact that the champ- 
ion bull was, for the first time in some j^ears at west- 
ern shows, of English breeding. This was Ancient 
Briton, from the herd of the late William Tudge of 
Leinthall. Likewise noteworthy was the fact that 
Messrs. Gudgell & Simpson for the first time par- 
ticipated in the big battles of the ring. We deem 
this competition of sufficient importance as an inci- 
dent in American Hereford history to warrant pre- 
senting substantially in full an account written at 
the time for "The Breeder's Gazette." We quote: 

Ancient Briton. — " 'It is the general opinion that 
Ancient Briton (15034) is the best Hereford bull 
that has gone out of the country for a good many 
years.' Such was the report which came to America 
last spring along with H. H. Clough's importation 
of 'white faces' selected and shipped from Hereford- 
shire by W. E. Britten, at the head of which stood 
the bull just named. American breeders are fully 
prepared to concede that Mr. Clough has in Ancient 



610 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Briton the best bull of the breed now on this side 
the pond, for they have run afoul of him in the Co- 
lumbian showyard and struck their colors on sight. 
The decision which placed this admirably fleshed 
and richly bred three-year-old first in the ring for 
bulls three years old or over met with unanimous 
approval. Most of his competitors were bulls of ma- 
turer years, stock sires of repute and ex-champions, 
all lacking the freshness and bloom of the imported 
bull. He was bought of Tudge of Leinthall, com- 
bines the blood of the two celebrated Adforton 
Royal winners Lord Wilton and Regulator (4898), 
being by a son of one and out of a half-sister to the 
other, and is a bull of fine scale and quality, with 
his flesh smoothly carried. Next to him was ranked 
Gudgell & Simpson's well known Anxiety 4th six- 
year-old breeding bull Don Carlos 33734, a trifle de- 
ficient perhaps behind his shoulders, but with the 
real Anxiety rib and loin and of better quality and 
character than the third-prize winner, Elmendorf 's 
massive Earl of Shadeland 30th. The latter has 
'come again' in surprising form, heavier than ever 
before, and with substance unsurpassed. Fourth 
honors fell to Makin Bros. ' good three-year-old Vin- 
cent 2d 42942, Ijy their famous old Vincent out of 
Berrington 2d 28255, with Cosgrove's young Wildy 
29th, by old Wild Eyes out of Bonny Face, fifth, and 
Fleming's Commodore sixth. Mr. VanNatta sent 
two valuable bulls into this ring — one the famous 
Cherry Boy 26495, by old Fowler, and Hengler, by 
Saracen. The former was once a rival of Young Ab- 
botsburn for championship honors at Peoria, but 
while in service in Kansas was necessarily let down 
considerably, and after passing out of Mr. Higgins' 
possession little effort was made to keep him up. I 
Mr. VanNatta bought him back some months ago, I 
but the time was too short to restore his wonted 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 611 

condition. His sturdy old sire, the veteran Fowler 
himself, might better have been sent into this 4ior- 
uet's nest' than his honored son with such a handi- 
cap. Hengler is a bull of strong parts but Colum- 
bian winners had to be cast in even a more heroic 
mold." 

Sitting Bull. — "Two-year-old bulls were a small 
class of six, at the head of which the judge placed 
Mr. Fluck's heavj^-fleshed Sitting Bull, not of ex- 
tra quality but an exceedingly deep level bull with 
good ribs, extra flanks, and heavy quarters. He is 
not a bull of as nice character as Mr. Todd Benja- 
min's second-prize winner, Wilton Grove, seen at 
Peoria last fall as a yearling. While not so heavily 
fleshed as Sitting Bull, Wilton Grove is much nicer 
in his head and more satisfactory to the touch. Third 
prize fell to Makin Bros. ' Anxietv Boy 47708, a son 
of Juryman 30279 from Ellen Wilton 12710, a low 
fleshy bull of good scale, exceptionally full in his 
twist. Fourth honors went to C. H. Elmendorf's 
Eureka and fifth to Gudgell & Simpson's Beau 
Brummel by Don Carlos." 

Lamplighter. — ''The yearling bulls were headed 
by Gudgell & Simpson's Lamplighter 51834, by Don 
Carlos out of Lady Bird 3d. He is of a very low 
meaty type, with good head, well rounded chine, 
nicely fleshed loins and ribs, covering nicely over 
the hips on to good quarters. Tom Clark was sec- 
ond with Lars 50734, whose dam was the famous 
show cow Peerless 3d. Lars is only a February calf, 
and consequently lacked the scale of some of his 
(Competitors, but he is of a nice tidy type with level 
well filled quarters. Makin Bros, were third with 
Vincent 9th 52705, got by old Vincent out of Bar- 
belle. He is wide and low, with a very deep body, but 
sags a bit in his top. H. H. Clough's Actor was 
fourth and VanNatta's Chicago Lad fifth." 



612 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Anxiety-Peerless Again. — "In bull calves Mr. 
Fluck again scored with Monitor F., the last fruit 
of the loins of old Anxiety 3d, and as his dam was 
a Peerless Wilton cow this youngster represents a 
doubling up of the blood of Clark's celebrated sire 
of prize stock. He is a good fleshy deep-ribbed calf, 
with wide head, well covered shoulders, and plenty 
of substance. Mr. Cosgrove was a strong second, 
however, with the Wild Eyes calf Minnesota 2d, a 
beautiful little bull with almost perfect top and 
bottom lines, strong in his flanks and quarters and 
excelling the first-prize calf in the twist. Mr. 
Clough was third with De Forrest, a very sweet De- 
cember calf by Kodax of Eockland, showing per- 
haps the most perfect head in the ring, but too young 
to go further forward in the winning. The same 
herd also supplied the fourth-prize winner, Col. 
Davis. Fleming was fifth with Barman and Elmen- 
dorf next with St. Tristram." 

Miss Beau Real 3d. — "It was a great lot of 
eighteen cows that were subject to inspection and in 
some unaccountable manner the judge made his first 
leet without including one of the best Hereford fe- 
males in the yard, namely, Lady Tushingham 3d, 
property of H. D. Smith of Compton, Quebec, Can- 
ada. Before making his -final ratings, however, he 
discovered that he had omitted that great three- 
year-old and finally sent her into the prizelist, al- 
though many would have ordered her further for- 
ward than fourth place, the position ultimately as- 
signed to her. Mr. VanNatta's wide-ribbed, com- 
pact, short-legged Miss Beau Real 3d had the blue 
ticket. In her foreribs and loins she is certainly an 
altogether remarkable cow. She is full of substance 
and quality, although soft in her handling and not 
standing well on her hind legs. A fair idea of her 
conformation can be gained from Mr. Morris ' sketch 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 613 

appearing in the frontispiece illustration to this 
week's Gazette. Mr. Funkhouser's next choice was 
I Tom Clark's famous Plum, by Peerless Wilton out 
of the great Peerless 2d. Her fine midcllepiece suf- 
ficed to carry her thus far forward in competition 
with cows that are rather better in their shoulders. 
Third place was assigned to Mr. Clougli's rich but 
I rather roughly fleshed Cocoanut 40726, and fourth 
'as above stated to the big Canadian three-year-old. 
Some would have placed Lady Tushingham 3d at 
the head of the class, but when one considers the 
I fact that Miss Beau Real 3d is six years old and is 
[now well along in calf it must be conceded that she 
has strong claims to the position assigned her upon 
this occasion. A cow that some would have liked 
to have seen recognized was Elmendorf 's Miss Wil- 
ton that was ranked fifth in the line. She is a daugh- 
[ter of the great Beau Real out of the magnificent 
[and very famous Lady Wilton and is a cow of most 
[beautiful character and quality. Gudgell & Simp- 
Json furnished the sixth-best cow in Myrtis 16180, 
[now in her eighth year. Next below her came Cos- 
jgrove's short-legged, thick Wilton Le Sueuress 43rd. 
The fact is, this was about as hard a ring to judge 
las was the Shorthorn cow class, and, as was the case 
[in that competition, there were unplaced cows in the 
jlot which in the opinion of some good judges were 
Ithe equals of the more successful animals. They 
rwere a grand good class and an animal had to be a 
[very 'tip-topper' to secure any position in the leet. " 
Annabel. — "The richness of the Hereford ex- 
hibit, so strikingly foreshadowed in the preceding 
ring, developed itself fully in the class for two-year- 
old heifers, where two of the best beasts in the en- 
tire beef cattle section contended for pride of place. 
We refer to Clough's imp. New Year's Gift and Van- 
Natta's Annabel. The former, a winner as a year- 



614 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ling at last year's Warwick Royal, was brought out 
in better bloom than the writer hereof had regarded 
as possible. She seemed ripe as a peach in England 
a year ago, and she is of such a refined type that it 
is surprising that she came out last week so fresh 
and good in her flesh. Forward she is as sweet as 
heart could wish. Her lovely countenance, full 
bosom, perfectly laid shoulders, smooth well 
rounded chine, deep ribs, and short neat legs com- 
bine to stamp her a heifer of altogether extraordi- 
nary quality. Annabel is not quite so 'ladylike' in 
her general make-up, but as a specimen of the sturdy 
buxom white-faced lassie, she is, to use the current 
phrase, simply 'out of sight.' We have seen heif- 
ers wider-spread than she, but when one considers 
her uniform depth and thickness of flesh, her sub- 
stance and almost perfect balancing of parts, she 
has to be written down as near a model of her kind 
as American showyards have ever seen. She is fur- 
nished at every point, and, while a heifer of stouter 
build than New Year's Gift, has yet no suspicion of 
grossness in her marvelous make-up. She shares 
with the Angus Abbess of Turlington, the roan two- 
year-old Shorthorn heifer from Canada, and a year- 
ling Hereford heifer soon to be named, the honor 
of being one of the three or four real sensational 
animals of the show. Star Grove 1st has to be cred- 
ited with having sired this predestined champion 
of her class. With Annabel first and the imported 
heifer second, the Cosgrove's excellent Wiltonie 33d 
fit snugly into third place, and Clark's Jingle was 
fourth. Fifth and sixth positions in the line were 
held respectively by Gudgell & Simpson's Donna 
Anna 7th and Makin Bros.' Lady Maud Vincent." 

Lady Daylight. — "Second only in outstanding 
merit to the great Annabel of the preceding class 
came Elmendorf's superb Lady Daylight, an easy 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 615 

winner among the yearlings. This exceptionally 
grand heifer, a daughter of Earl of Shadeland 30th, 
is from a cow by Beau Real, and she from a daugh- 
ter of Beau Monde, the dam thus being an inbred 
Anxiety 4th. She is laid out on a little lengthier 
scale than Annabel, so that she will never impress 
one as being quite so blocky as VanNatta's heifer, 
but she is modeled on such low level lines and 
rounds out so beautifully in her barrel and flanks, 
fleshes down so wonderfully fore and aft, that she 
is simply a 'flash' heifer in any company. John J. 
Steward brought up from Hickory Grove, along 
with VanNatta's string, a sweet little bundle of 
Hereford femininity known as Fowler Queen 2d, 
got by old Fowler out of Wilton Queen. She is a 
charming little witch with her famous 'daddy's' 
thighs, and landed herself in second place among 
these Columbian yearlings. Elmendorf had another 
string to his bow this time — Lady Laurel, by Earl 
of Shadeland out of his champion show cow Lily, 
and she was no 'tail-ender' either. She was easily 
third and Mr. Clough's growthy imported Merlin 
heifer Dorcas had to stand scaling down to fourth. 
Mr. VanNatta's Cherry Lass was pegged at the fifth 
notch, same owner's Fairy Browny sixth, Gudgell 
& Simpson's Normette seventh, Clough's Autumn 
Leaf eighth, and Redhead's Wallflower ninth — four 
out of the nine being of Mr. VanNatta 's breeding. ' ' 
Bright Duchess 15th. — "The calves were as 
pretty a show as seen on the tanbark during the 
week. They were about fifteen in number and so 
evenly good that some of those that were left out 
of the prizelist might safely be substituted for the 
quartette of winners without falling below a 
World's Fair standard. Messrs. Gudgell & Simp- 
son were first with Bright Duchess 15th, by Earl of 
Shadeland 47th — good on her back and carrying her 



616 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

flesh well down. Makiii Bros, were second with the 
ripe Eoberta, by Beau Eeal out of Bertha ; Clough 
was third with the pretty Primrose, a December 
calf by Kodax of Rockland, and Fleming came 
fourth with Lady Fenn 2d. Mr. VanNatta's Grove 
Lassie set down to fifth, was of winning shapes, and 
Makins' Prairie Flower, listed sixth, was remark- 
ably full of flesh and near to the ground. They were 
a sweet lot throughout and the rear guard was bet- 
ter than the winners at some shows heretofore seen 
in the west." 

The Championships. — "The male championship 
of the class was conceded to Mr. Clough 's imp. An- 
cient Briton and the female championship went to 
Mr. VanNatta's great two-year-old Annabel with as 
little discussion. It may be interesting to note in 
this latter connection that the next best females of 
the class were rated in the following order: Miss 
Beau Real 3d, Lady Daylight and Lady Tushingham 
3d. 

"The herd prize fell to H. H. Clough on the fol- 
lowing lot: Ancient Briton, Cocoanut, New Year's 
Gift, Dorcas and Princess ; second prize to W. S. 
VanNatta on Cherry Boy, Miss Beau Real 3d, An- 
nabel, Cherry Lass and Grove Lassie ; third prize to 
Gudgell & Simpson on Don Carlos, Myrtis, Nor- 
mette. Bright Duchess 15th and Donna Anna 9th; 
fourth prize to C. H. Elmendorf on Earl of Shade- 
land 30th, Lily, Belle Mode, Lady Daylight and Fair 
Nell. Relative rank beyond this point was assigned 
to the various herds in the following order: Cos- 
grove, Clark, Makin Bros., Fleming, Redhead and 
Day. 

"The young-herd prize fell to Messrs. Gudgell & 
Simpson with the following animals : the bull Lamp- 
lighter and heifers Normette, Bonnnie Lulu 13th, 
"Welcome 10th and Gertrude 5th. Second went to W. 




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618 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

S. VanNatta on Venture, Cherry Lass, Fairy- 
Brownie, Grove Lassie and Alberta ; third to H. H. 
Clough on Actor, Chestnut Leaf, Autumn Leaf, 
Jewel 6th and Nutty ; fourth to Makin Bros, on Vin- 
cent 9th, Lady Wiltona Vincent, Lady Geneve Vin- 
cent, Stately 14tli and Stately lOtli; and fifth and 
sixh rank were assigned to Cosgrove and Elmen- 
dorf respectively. 

''In the class for four animals of either sex under 
four years the get of one sire, Elmendorf was first 
with the progeny of his well known Garfield bull 
Earl of Shadeland 30th, the winning animals con- 
sisting of Eureka, Lady Daylight, Lady Lavender 
and Lady Laurel. Second went to the progeny of 
Don Carlos, shown by Gudgell & Simpson, including 
the two bulls Beau Brummel and Lamplighter and 
the heifers Donna Anna 7th and Normette ; third to 
the Cosgrove Company on the get of Wild Eyes, in- 
cluding the bull Wildy 29th and three Wilton heif- 
ers ; fourth to Clough on the progeny of Nutcracker. 

*'The first prize for best two animals of either 
sex, the get of one cow, went to Makin Bros, on bull 
Vincent 2d and heifer Lady Maud Vincent; second 
to Cosgrove on bull Bert C. and cow Wilton Le 
Sueuress 43d; third to F. A. Fleming of Canada; 
fourth to Elmendorf." 

Dark Days. — The year 1893 will not soon be for- 
gotten by those who were in debt or lacked working 
capital. A financial panic swept the United States 
from end to end. Money went in hiding. Banks 
failed. Credits were destroyed. Cash could not 
be had at one time even with Government bonds as 
security. The cattle business suffered its full share 
as a result of this catastrophe. Failures were nu- 
merous in all lines of business. Confidence was 



SOME ROUSING DEMONSTRATIONS 619 

temporarily destroyed, and the recovery from the 
shock was a long and tedious process. Owners of 
pedigree stock did not escape the general gloom. 
Values fell rapidly. High-class registered animals 
sold in many cases at their mere value for slaugh- 
ter at the yards — a state of affairs which put some 
people out of business, but which at the same time 
put others in at a bargain-counter basis. Those 
who had a little money and plenty of lierve took ad- 
vantage of such a situation to stock up. What was 
one man's misfortune was another's opportunity. 

It came to pass, therefore, that the great Chicago 
show marked the zenith of achievement in Here- 
ford cattle breeding circles during the period of 
their first great enjoyment of popularity in the west. 
With this description of that event we enter the 
shadows of an era of profound depression in all 
branches of pedigree cattle breeding in the United 
States — a period which brought many enforced 
changes in the personnel of those engaged in the in- 
dustry, but an era during which the foundation for 
a more enduring prosperity was laboriously but 
successfully laid. 

A Desperate Depression. — Ten years had now 
elapsed since the great importing movement had 
been at its flood. The reaction from the boom had 
set in around 1885. Although at first a slow or 
creeping decline, it had been expensive to some of 
those who had allowed their enthusiasm or their cu- 
pidity to run away with good judgment. Prices had 
fallen steadily, beginning with that date except in 



620 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the case of top cattle. This, however, was not with- 
out its redeeming feature. It gave the western 
ranchmen just the opportunity needed to extend 
rapidly the sphere of Hereford influence on the open 
range, and this was taken advantage of to the full- 
est possible extent. Many speculators and ''but- 
terfly breeders," as someone happily termed those 
who are active only when prosperity's sun is shin- 
ing brightly, already had disappeared from the 
ranks when the great panic of 1893 fell upon the 
country practically without warning. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH. 

It is easy to swim with a tide that is flowing free. 
Working up-stream is quite another story. Yet this 
was the task now before those who fought to main- 
tain the herds they had developed at such cost dur- 
ing the golden days that had preceded. We are un- 
fortunately prone, in this western country, to run 
to extremes. The atmosphere of the prairies, the 
mountains and the plains breeds optimism. Else 
we would not have done and dared those deeds of 
might that have characterized our wondrous growth. 
We had a little too much steam on in our western 
cattle breeding. The crash of '93 brought us up 
to an era of liquidation in breeding stock which 
had to be got through with sooner or later, and 
while it left wrecks in its pathway it was the real 
starting point of the great constructive era upon 
which we now enter. 

Men of faith, men of strength, men of dogged 
persistence were still behind the Hereford. The 
names of the more prominent ones weathering the 
financial gale of 1893 will still figure in our narra- 
tive, and we wish in passing to pay tribute to that 
patient, but for the most part inconspicuous, body 
of farmer-breeders who from Maine to California 

621 



622 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

held fast to that which they knew to be good through 
all these evil days, keeping alive the fires of Here- 
ford patriotism through this time of storm and 
stress. It is obviously impractical, however, for us 
to go up and down all the by-ways that led to the 
firesides of these steadfast but modest keepers of 
the faith. Their names are in the records of their 
national association, and the work they did during 
the dark days of which we write still lives. 

The main thread of our story is still best fol- 
lowed along the trail of the leading shows. 

At the Fairs of '94. — Ancient Briton had 
been bought at Mr. Clough's dispersion sale of 1894 
at $1,025 by Redhead Bros., of Des Moines, and was 
the first-prize and champion bull of the year. Mr. 
Sotham had by this time established himself at 
Weavergrace Farm, Chillicothe, Mo., where he had 
collected a valuable lot of richly bred cattle from va- 
rious sources. He had bought the bull Alger, chat 
had been a frequent prize-winner in Michigan, and 
at Des Moines and Lincoln he was ranked next to 
Ancient Briton. He was sired by the Grove 3d-Spar- 
tan bull Clarence out of the Tudge-bred cow Green- 
horn 5th. Funkhouser exhibited this year as a 
yearling a very remarkable young bull called Free 
Lance, sired by Beau Real out of the famous Lady 
Wilton, that only lacked stronger condition to take 
highest rank. He was second at the Iowa show to 
Sotham 's Cordial by Harold 2d, out of a daughter 
of Coral. Sotham had pinned his faith to Correc- 
tor as a great sire, and was rewarded at Des Moines 



DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 623 

by receiving first in bull calves on one of his sons, 
Chillicothe out of Cherry 24th by Cedric. The Co- 
lumbian champion female, Mr. VanNatta's Annabel, 
had now become Sotham 's property, and headed the 
cows at Des Moines, defeating that other noted Van- 
Natta product Cherry Duchess, now owned by the 
Messrs. Redhead. Elmendorf's Lady Daylight, 
commonly called '^Baby," was easily the best two- 
year-old and beat Annabel for the female champion- 
ship. The yearling heifers by Hesiod 2d shown by 
Mr. Funkhouser were up to the best standards ever 
set in western shows. 

At the Illinois State Fair, held at Springfield, 
where it had now been permanently located, Clark, 
Sotham, Elmendorf and Funkhouser fought for 
place under Imboden's judgment. Ancient Briton 
leading the senior bulls. Clark's Lars, son of Peer- 
less 3d, as a two-year-old weighed near 2,000 pounds 
and was generally allowed to l)e the best bull Mr. 
Clark had ever bred. He had an Anxiety loin, a 
Peerless head and a Grove 3d shortness of leg. Cor- 
dial again beat Free Lance, and Chillicothe was first 
among bull calves. Annabel led the cows, and Miss 
Wilton, own-sister to Free Lance, was drawn for 
second. Lady Daylight continued her victorious ca- 
reer in the two-year-old ring, and her stablemate 
Lady Laurel, daughter of old Lily, was second. Red- 
head 's Bright Duchess won the blue in the yearlings, 
and Clark was first in a strong class of calves with 
Jessamine, by Peerless Wilton. 

Some Notable Transactions. — In the spring of 



624 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

1895 William S. VanNatta bought the entire herd 
of S. W. Anderson of Asbury, W. Va., consisting of 
40 females and 10 bulls, with Earl Wilton 31st at 
the head. The herd of John S. Carlyle, deceased, 
was closed out at Vesta, Neb. Thomas Clark sold 
Sanhedrim 46180 to W. S. Ikard of Henrietta, Tex., 
and T. F. B. Sotliam acquired the herd of Samuel 
Weaver of Forsythe, 111. 

Charles S. Cross Begins Showing. — In 1895 
at Des Moines, the scene of so many notable con- 
tests, a new name appeared in the entry list, that of 
Charles S. Cross of Sunny Slope Farm, Emporia, 
Kans. Taking advantage of the ruinous prices that 
had been prevailing he began accumulating breeding 
cattle of a superior stamp, including the great Anx- 
iety bull Beau Real and several of his daughters 
obtained from Mr. Fowler of Maple Hill, who had 
purchased most of the Shockey & Gibb cattle. Beau 
Real died soon after, however, and one of his sons, 
Wild Tom, was placed at the head of the herd, 
which a few years later came into national promi- 
nence. At two years old the badly named Wild Tom 
was sent to Des Moines accompanied by a string of 
heifer calves. The Messrs. Redhead had divided 
their show material, sending Ancient Briton and fe- 
males to the Wisconsin State Fair. This left the 
Iowa show lamentably weak. Harry Yeld was feed- 
ing the Redhead cattle at this time, and he certainly 
made the most of his opportunities in their behalf. 
Wild Tom was a wide-ribbed, short-legged bull of 
good substance and was made champion, and Red- 




cJas. FunUhouser 



C.H.MaKin 



626 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

head's Venus 6tli, by Sir Wilfred, was female 
champion. 

Lars and Free Lance.^Ulinois undoubtedly had 
the best show of Herefords in 1895, well fitted en- 
tries being contributed by Clark, Sotham, Funk- 
houser, Eedhead, Todd Benjamin, Fluck and Elmen- 
dorf. 

Clark's Lars, now three-year-old, came into the 
ring weighing 2,400 pounds, deep, round and level, 
after having beaten Ancient Briton at Minneapolis, 
and was ranked above Wilton Grove. Alger, now 
beginning to age, had third. Ancient Briton was 
not shown. Next to Lars the best Hereford bull on 
the road in 1895 was clearly Free Lance. Mr. Funk- 
houser's manager. Will Willis, had handled this bull 
with consummate skill from a feeder's standpoint, 
and sent him into the ring a fit pattern of a high- 
class show bull. He had style, flesh and finish, and 
gave Lars a good fight for the championship of the 
class. Sotham 's yearling Protection, by Corrector 
out of Coral, a bull of exceptional promise, made a 
satisfactory leader in the yearlings. Hesiod 20th 
was best calf. 

The great Lady Laurel was the blue ribbon cow, 
now even a finer type than her illustrious dam had 
been. Lady Daylight stood second. Both had calves ! ^^f' 
at foot. Funkhouser's Lorena here turned the ta- 
bles on Bright Duchess. Both were extraordinary 
two-year-olds. The yearling contest was between 
Clark's Jessamine and Sotham 's Grace, the former 
gaining the judicial favor. Funkhouser's Dewdrop, 



DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 627 

by Hesiod 2d, topped the heifer calves. Clark won on 
herd, with Funkhouser second. Sotham captured 
the young herd prize, with Protection, Benita, 
Grace, Lady Chloe and Lady Plushcoat, all Correc- 
tors but one, and a finely finished group they were. 
Clark's Peerless Wiltons had the get-of-sire ribbon, 
the Correctors coming second and the Hesiods third. 
Lars was senior, and Free Lance junior champion, 
bull. Lad}' Laurel and Jessamine were the female 
champions. 

Trade Slowly Revives in 1896. — Prices were 
still unsatisfactory. 8otham sold in April at Weaver- 
grace 19 bulls at auction at an average of $200, the 
highest price being $500 for Exemplar to Mr. Tug- 
gle. Twenty-nine females sold at an average of 
$145. In October Gudgell & Simpson and Mr. Funk- 
houser sold 73 head at Kansas City for an average 
of $168.75, 24 bulls averaging $196 and the tops be- 
ing $665 for Hesiod 30th to N. W. Leonard and $425 
for Hesiod 29th to Scott & March. 

On the western fair circuit Sotham, Eedhead, El- 
' mendorf and Funkhouser were the leading exhibi- 
tors. In Minnesota Sotham 's Protection and Grace 
\ were champions. In Nebraska Elmendorf led the 
aged bulls with St. Louis and Funkhouser the young- 
sters with Hesiod 29th. Lady Laurel was champion 
cow and Funkhouser 's Dewdrop best heifer. These 
same cattle were in stellar roles at Des Moines. 

Clark's Lars was champion bull at Springfield, 
i and was thus described : 

''Lars is one of the outstanding animals. His 



628 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

shoulders are too prominent, be needs a little filling 
about tbe tail and bis bair is perbaps inclined to be 
liarsb, but when tbat is said tbe bag of tbe stone- 
tbrowing critic is empty of missiles. Sucb massive- 
ness on sucb sbort 'pegs' bas rarely if ever been 
seen in an American sbowyard. Tbe bull is sbaped 
like a barrel, 'rotund' is tbe word ; barring bis sboul- 
ders and bis bit of a dip at tbe tail be is round and 
smootli as an apple. As a flesb-carrier be presents 
one of tbe most striking illustrations of tbe deep- 
flesbing qualities of tbis great breed. It need bardly 
be recalled tbat be is a son of Capt. Kidd (of Grove 
3d blood) and Clark's great sbow cow Peerless 3d." 

VanNatta's Actor, witb bis Anxiety blood clearly 
revealed in bis great loin, was second. Sotbam bad 
no competition on Protection in two-year-olds, and 
in yearlings Clark scored witb Littleton, son of Lars. 
Cberry Ducbess by Cberry Boy beaded tbe cows, 
and Clark's Jessamine ranked tbe two-year-olds, 
witb Sotbam 's Grace second. Clark won botb berd 
prizes, and Funkbouser bad tbe get-of-sire prize on 
bis Hesiods. 

Ancient Briton Goes To Texas. — In tbe 
spring of 1897 values and public interest in Here- 
fords began to expand tbrougbout tbe entire west. 
Tbere bad been four lean years sure enougb. Tbose 
wbo bad beld on and tbose wbo bad accumulated 
good breeding stock at tbe low prices prevailing now 
began to reap tbe benefit. 

Col. C. C. Slaughter of Dallas, Tex., owner of one 
of tbe leading southwestern herds, bought a big lot 
of good bulls, including Ancient Briton at $2,500. 
After this sale $1,000 each was refused for three 



DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 629 

of Ancient Briton's sons — Christmas Gift, Country 
Gentleman and Little Briton. 

Kirk B. Armour, whose herd at Excelsior Springs, 
Mo., included a lot of fine old Culbertson cows bought 
the bull St. Louis at $800, Lady Laurel at $1,000 
and Dimple, a daughter of Lady Daylight, at $700. 

F. A. Nave of Attica, Ind., shortly to become very 
prominent in the trade, bought the bull Dale for 
$1,000 at Harness & Graves' Chicago sale, where 24 
head sold at an average of $226. 

Sotham sold 56 head at an average of $214, in- 
cluding Sir Comewell to Mr. Hornaday of Ft. Scott, 
Kans., for $840, Col. Slaughter securing Protection, 
then four years old, at the comparatively low price 
of $450. Scott & March sold 72 calves, from eleven 
to fourteen months old, in the spring of 1897 for 
$11,400, for range use. 

The Shows of 1897.— The Hereford classes at 
the leading fairs of 1897 were well filled. New ex- 
hibitors entered the lists and the average quality of 
the entries was exceptional. In the west Mr. Cross 
contributed largely to the success of the Hereford 
presentation. Mr. Funkhouser's entries were of 
outstanding excellence and the newly organized firm 
of Steward & Hutcheon came forward for the first 
time with well fitted cattle of an admirable type. 
John Steward had been for many years Mr. VanNat- 
I ta's trusty manager. Will Hutcheon had been with 
I' Hon. M. H. Cochrane at Hillhurst, and latterly had 
assisted Steward at VanNatta's. They had now 
,■ formed a co-partnership, and engaged in the breed- 



630 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ing of Herefords on their own account at Green- 
wood, Mo. What they may have lacked in capital 
they made up in sound judgment and practical 
knowledge of all the ''ins and outs" of the fitter's 
art. Another real artist in the business of selecting 
and fitting showyard material, Mr, Ed. Taylor, was 
in charge of Mr. Sotham's cattle, and his entries 
were always presented in the best of bloom. 

The trouble began at the Minnesota show when 
Mr. Cross, Mr. Sotham, and Steward & Hutcheon 
first crossed swords. Sunny Slope's sturdy son of 
Beau Eeal, Wild Tom, ran away with senior bull 
honors, and Sotham was second in two-year-olds and 
yearlings with the Corrector bulls, Sir Bredwell and 
Thickset. The former weighed 1,900 pounds, was 
from a Grove 3d-Spartan dam, and joined fine breed 
character to rare scale. Thickset was a grand type, 
rich in his flesh, evenly fashioned throughout, with 
faultless head and horn, gay carriage and shown at 
a weight of 1,600 pounds at eighteen months. He 
was out of Grove Lassie by Star Grove 1st, and his 
grandam was Lassie by Mr. VanNatta's Fowler. 
Sotham scored again in bull calves with the double 
Corrector Excellent, by Exemplar out of the famous 
Grace. 

A Memorable Minnesota Contest. — The females 
at this show were of extraordinary merit. In 
fact, the female classes were strong throughout. 
Public interest in the judging was at fever heat with 
Prof. C. F. Curtiss on the bench. The writer hereof 
witnessed most of the contests of this period, and 




THOS. F. B. SOTHAM. 



632 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the subjoined description written at tlie time will 
not only serve to reflect the character of the ani- 
mals shown, but will indicate the efforts made by 
''The Breeder's Gazette," then as now, to keep the 
public fully advised as to what was transpiring at 
the great shows of the period. We quote : 

"Six superb cows started an argument which was 
still going on at last accounts, and made the strong- 
est show of mature females of the beef breeds seen 
in the yard during the entire week. Messrs. Stew- 
ard & Ilutcheon drew forward a pair of Anxieties 
that would ornament any pasture in England or 
America — the six-year-old Maud of Mr. "Wm. S. Van- 
Natta's breeding, by Anxiety 5th from a cow of C. 
K. Parmelee's, and Pretty Lady by Don Juan, from 
the great Gudgell & Simpson herd. Mr. Sotham 
rested his case upon the beautiful three-year-old 
Benita, by Corrector from an Archibald dam, and 
Mr. Cross complicated matters by offering Annette, 
by Eureka, Robertha, by Beau Real of World's Fair 
fame and Maldn Bros.' breeding, and the massive 
Mary Benjamina, by Richard Grove. Director Cur- 
tiss said: 'First to Benita, Annette second, and 
Maude commended.' Equally good authority re- 
vised this to read: 'Maude first, Benita second, An- 
nette commended,' but the ribbons of course fol- 
lowed the fiat of the awarding judge. Robertha's 
peerless head and beautiful forward finish is mar- 
red by lack of levelness behind the hips. Mary's 
wonderful scale and great quarters could scarcely 
prevail against the superior smoothness and refine- 
ment of the three favorites named. Benita is a cow 
of splendid quality, with fine head, neck and shoul- 
ders, and a table-back. She is a bit upstanding as 
compared with such as Annette, Robertha and Maud, 
but is in nice bloom, handles well, and has an ele- 



DEFENDERS OP THE FAITH 633 

gant lieifer calf at foot by Protection. Annette is 
scarcely as breedy a type as Benita or Maude, but 
on the beef proposition she is a hard nut to crack. 
Just a little inclined to roll, she is yet compactly 
fashioned and so full of flesh that she cannot be de- 
nied position. Maude is a Hereford cow such as 
breeders often dream about and now and then pro- 
duce. She is rather soft in her handling and some- 
what gaudy about the tail-root, but is marvelous in 
her smoothness everywhere else, extraordinary in 
her shoulders and heart, strong in her back, has fine 
width, great depth, good length, low short neat legs, 
and a good head carried on a thin breeding-cow's 
neck. She has also been a prolific breeder. 

''Beau Real's Maid did what it has been thought 
she was capable of accomplishing all summer. In 
fact she did more. She was not only the blue ribbon 
1 two-year-old, but later on was crowned queen of the 
white-faced females two years old or over in compe- 
tition with the grand cows just described. Such rec- 
ognition is sufficient to give Sunny Slope place at 
i once high in the list of nurseries of top-notch Here- 
fords. A sweeter or more symmetrical white-faced 
'maiden has not been thrown by America's breeding 
1 herds in recent years. Evenly good from horns to 
j hoofs, criticism becomes virtually disarmed as her 
! rare character develops under close examination, 
j Neat in her head and horn and beautifully filled in her 
I bosom, she shows a pair of elegantly modeled shoul- 
ders, a well rounded chine, wide thick-meated ribs, 
captivating wealth of loin, and good quarters. In 
making up her showyard raiment the feeder did not 
forget his Shakespeare. At any rate the advice of 
Polonius to Laertes had been heeded. 'Rich not 
gaudy,' in her covering, she brings to the Hereford 
camp this fall as handsome a body of beef as con- 
noisseur could covet. Mr. Sotham's good Lady 



634 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Pluslicoat, by Corrector out of a daughter of Dr. 
Grove, made a strong second. She carries a world 
of flesh along her rib and across her loin, although 
not quite true behind. The same stable supplied the 
third-prize heifer Lady Chloe by old Alger, that 
went to Texas two years ago to show the Southrons 
how big and massive a Hereford may be made. 
Chloe 's dam is a daughter of the celebrated Coral 
and she is worthy of her high-class ancestry. She 
has a refined front and is deep in her flesh, but a bit 
uneven in her back. 

"A month ago Sunny Slope's buxom Wild Tom 
heifer Miranda would probably have topped the 
j'earlings seen at this fair, but she was not herself 
last week and failed to put up her customary show. 
A good substitute was found, however, in her half- 
sister (by same sire) Pretty Maid, chosen by Prof. 
Curtiss to wear the blue. Not so blocky as Miranda, 
she is yet a strong, well grown, firmly fleshed heifer. 
Sotham's Lady Coral (own sister to Lady Chloe), 
that has inherited a grand loin from her sire Alger, 
was drawn for second and Steward & Hutcheon 
were relegated to third with Salina (bred by Mr. 
VanNatta, and shown by him as a calf last fall), a 
daughter of the Sotham-bred Eureka. She is of a 
very wide-ribbed, tidy, low-down type and was slated 
by some of 'the boys' to top the class. She is indeed 
a beefy one, but somewhat uneven in her back and at 
setting on of tail. Seven heifer calves were quite 
as hard to judge as were the cows. Three of these 
were genuine Klondyke nuggets — rich, yellow, and 
good as gold in the present state of Hereford trade. 
There was Sotham's Georgina (own sister to Grace 
and Sir Comewell), same owner's Benison (by Cor- 
rector from the first-prize cow Benita), and Sunny 
Slope's Diana, by Archibald 5th. The Gazette passes 



DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 635 

up the task of determining the relative merit of 
these three ripe, sappy, low-legged beauties. It is 
probable that the judge had a majority of the on- 
lookers with him, however, when he drew Georgiua 
for first. At seven months she is probably the best- 
developed calf seen at leading fairs in many years. 
Mr.Sotham and herdsman Taylor are indeed entitled 
to warmest congratulations upon the production of 
such a grand specimen of early maturity. Beuison, 
by the famous Protection, has a truly wonderful 
back and is also a great triumph for Weavergrace 
principles. Such a pair are rarely produced in any 
one herd in one season. Diana is a fully developed 
cow in miniature, a little wonder in her way. This 
trio were of a tj^pe and liad the ribbons gone to them 
it would have made little difference, so far as the 
equities were concerned, as to relative ratings. Prof. 
Curtiss realized this, but found such a lot of good 
flesh on the growtliier Wild Tom calf Dorcas that 
he braved criticism long enough to pull her in be- 
tween Georgina and Benison for second, leaving Di- 
ana hunting for honors elsewhere, which, by the way, 
she found in good sliape a little later in the contest 
for champion calf of any beef breed, as appears be- 
low. 

''Wild Tom was declared champion bull two years 
old or over and Thickset was made junior champion. 
Beau Real's Maid and Georgina were given the sen- 
ior and junior female championships respectively. 
Sotham won the young herd prize with Thickset, 
Lady Coral, Lady Brenda, Georgina and Benison, 
and also the get-of-bull contest with a company of 
Correctors. ' ' 

A Typical Breed Battle. — These were still the 
foolish old days of breed competitions, now hap- 
pily a thing of the past. It may be interesting, 



636 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

therefore, as illustrating what happened under the 
system then in vogue to reproduce our account of 
the ''grand sweepstakes — open to all beef breeds" 
at this Minnesota State Fair of 1897: 

"Profs. Curtiss and Shaw and Charles Kerr pre- 
sided at the drawing in this important distribution 
of cash, and after the revolutions of the wheel had 
ceased it appeared that on the whole a fairly even 
divide was secured. 

"Sweepstakes by ages came first and Mr. H. F. 
Brown's Cruickshank Shorthorn Victor of Brown- 
dale pulled down the first plum — that for best bull 
of any beef breed three years old or over. Goodwin 
& Judy's Blackcap King was declared best two-year- 
old, and Mr. Sotham's Thickset claimed the yearling 
bull championship of the yard. Honors were there- 
fore easy up to this point, but Sotham closed up 
the bull classes with a calf victory on Grace's sappy 
son Excellent. The first round therefore ended 
rather to the advantage of the 'white faces.' 

"In the cow class the problem was about like this : 
'Here is a peach, a pear and a plum, all luscious 
specimens; which is the best fruit!' A nice query 
for a state fair association to propound, isn't it I Re- 
minds us of our school-boy debates upon such 
weighty questions as, 'Which is the most destruc- 
tive agent, fire or water!' or, 'Which is the most 
dangerous calling, that of a soldier or sailor!' The 
jury said they preferred plums. That is they 
awarded the palm to that model of 'doddie' neatness 
and compactness — Goodwin & Judy's round ripe Za- 
ra 5th. The best two-year-old heifer in the yard was 
found in the comely Shorthorn Browndale's Ella 
Kennedy. The best vearling turned up in Mc- 
Henry's Pride 7th and the crack calf was declared 
to be Mr. Cross' Diana, which as mentioned in our 



DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 637 

review of the Hereford class above, failed of recog- 
nition the day previous. It thus appears that the 
Heref ords and Angus had the best of the fight up to 
this point, winning six (three each) out of the eight 
rounds. Mr. Brown had two falls to the credit of 
the Shorthorns, however, and bided his time. 

''In the class for best herd under two years, to 
consist of one bull and four females (latter to be 
bred by exhibitor), the 'bonnie blacks' repeated 
their remarkable performance of last year, drawing 
both first and second ; Mr. McHenry had the honor 
of holding the right of the line with his Blackbird 
bull and blooming bevy of rich-backed heifers, Good- 
win & Judy receiving second and Mr. Sotham third 
for the Heref ords — more 'soup' for the Shorthorns. 

"When Goodwin & Judy plucked the prize for 
best four (or more) cattle of any age or either sex 
the get of one bull with Blackcap King, Zaras 5th 
and 9tli and Blackcap 13tli (own sister to the King), 
all by Black Monk, it looked still blacker for the ri- 
val breeds, and to add to the gloom that seemed 
settling down over the Shorthorn camp Sotham 
found second on his Correctors (Sir Bredwell, 
Thickset, Benita, Lady Plushcoat and Georgina). 
The Browndale Golden Eules (Spicey 4th, Ella Ken- 
nedv, Golden Princess and a Waterloo heifer) were 
third. 

"When the grand finale was reached, however, the 
$650 capital prize, the sun rose bright and clear 
over the Shorthorn host and equilibrium was re- 
stored by a decision which sent the grand prize 
of all to Mr. Brown's Victor of Browndale, Spicey 
of Browndale 4th, Ella Kennedy, Waterloo of 
Browndale 7th, and Golden Minnie. The blacks were 
close in at the death, Goodwin & Judy claiming the 
red with Blackcap King^ Zaras 5th and 9th, Rose- 



638 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE. 

bud Rho, and Blaekhird lieifor calf. Third lionors 
rested upon the Sunny Slope Herefords, consisting 
of Wild Tom, Annette, Beau Real's Maid, Pretty 
Maid and Diana, with Sotham's Thickset, Benita, 
Lady Plushcoat, Lady Coral and Georgina fourth." 

"The Gory Hill of Hamline."— It was at this 
same show that a famous light over a "breeder's 
stake" occurred, calling out the following comment, 
made at the time by the author : 

"This association has in its prize-list another big 
bone of contention known as a breeder's stake : 'For 
the best beef herd of cattle, six in number, any age, 
of any breed or sex, owned and bred by the exhibi- 
tor. Conditions : One hundred dollars entrance fee 
and $100 added by the society. The whole amount 
of the stake to be divided as follows : To the best lot, 
50 per cent of the stake ; to the second best lot, 25 
per cent of the stake; to the third best lot, 15 per 
cent of the stake ; to the fourth best lot, 10 per cent 
of the stake.' Four exhibitors concluded to go out 
after this Friday morning, making the value of the 
stake $500. Prof. Shaw and Mr. Kerr were called 
and sent the $250 to Mr. Sotham's Herefords — Sir 
Bredwell, Thickset, Excellent, Benita, Lady Chloe 
and Benison — three bulls and three females, placing 
the Browndale Shorthorns second, Goodwin & 
Judy's Angus third, and Mr. Westrope's Shorthorns 
fourth, so that each participant had a place. The 
judges acknowledged the great merit of Mr. Brown's 
Shorthorns as individuals, but awarded the first 
place to Sotham because, as they expressed it, 'of 
their uniformity in the ideal type of a beef animal ' ; 
adding that as 'representing the skill of the breeder 
in molding refinement, type and finish the winning 
herd proves Mr. Sotham unequaled in results. ' The 
even division of the sexes was another point in fa- 



DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 639 

vor of the Sotham entry, showing good work in 
breeding both bulls and heifers. There was but one 
bull in each of the other herds. The jury further re- 
ported: 'In a breeder's exhibit uniformity of ideal 
type should and did outweigh a collection of prime 
animals of different types.' In this respect the 
Judy Angus entry was backed for second place. 

"And so the battle of the breeds was ended. Each 
interest had received 'distinguished consideration,' 
and, while all were not entirely happy, white-winged 
peace brooded that night over the beef cattle barns 
on the erstwhile gory hill of Hamline. ' ' 

At Des Moines Funkhouser appeared with a great 
string of show cattle headed by Free Lance, and 
Scott & March of Belton, Mo., added to the fame of 
the Plattsburg establishment by exhibiting in capital 
form the splendid yearling bull Hesiod 29th. Free 
Lance was the product of the union of two excep- 
tional animals. Beau Real and Lady Wilton. The 
latter had been bought by Mr. Funkhouser at the 
Fowler dispersion sale at Kansas City in February, 
1893, at a low price. It was not certain that she was 
still a useful breeding proposition, but as these were 
dolorous days, dollar-wise in the cattle trade, one 
could afford to take a chance upon almost anything 
at the prices current. Steward & Hutcheon, 
George Redhead, Z. T. Kinsell and others rounded 
out a strong white-faced entry. Funkhouser had the 
male and female championships with Free Lance 
and Cherry, by Cherry Boy, both herd prizes, get- 
of-sire and produce-of-cow. Will Willis' cup was 
truly overflowing. 

First Appearance of Dale. — In the east a new 



640 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

sensation was sprung by Harness & Graves of Indi- 
ana. At New York State Fair they had the bull 
championship on Columbus, by Earl of Shadeland 
41st, and at Indianapolis Mr. I. M. Forbes, the well 
known Shorthorn breeder of Henry, 111., acting as 
judge under the Governor of the state, Hon. Claude 
Matthews, as superintendent, had placed this mas- 
sive bull ahead of Wild Tom. In the yearling ring 
these same exhibitors presented a son of Columbus 
named Dale that not only won first in his class, but 
the male championship as well. He was the phe- 
nomenal youngster of the year, and only at the com- 
mencement of a career equalled by few American- 
bred cattle of his day and generation. 

Tom Clark 's Jessamine easily led the cows at this 
Hoosier show, but in two-year-olds his grand heifer 
Juno gave way by Mr. Forbes' direction to Mr. 
Cross' big, smooth, broadtopped Beau Real's Maid. 
Jessamine won the female championship and Mr. 
Clark's brave array of the get of Peerless Wilton 
drew the much coveted get-of-sire award. 

John Lewis and His Troubles at Spring- 
field—At the Illinois State Fair of 1897 "Uncle 
John" Lewis, Shadeland 's '^ grand old man" tied 
the ribbons on one of the best Hereford shows of the 
period of which we write. Clark, Cross, Funk- 
houser, and Sotham furnished competition that sup- 
plied the "thrills." Here is our comment on Free 
Lance and Wild Tom, the aged bull antagonists, 
as written at the time : 

"In the senior bull class it was Free Lance 51626 




JOHN LEWIS. 



642 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

VS. Wild Tom 51592, a little family affair as it were, 
both animals being sons of the celebrated Anxiety 
bull Beau Real, and both having been bred on the 
same farm — the Fowler ranch at Maple Hill, Kans. 
The Funkhouser bull is possessed of such an over- 
powering bulk that Wild Tom with all his weight 
looked a veritable David alongside the Missouri 
Goliath of bulls; but the giant in this case won. 
They are animals of such a materially different type 
that it is difficult to rate them. Tom is short-legged 
and thoroughly masculine. Free Lance is projected 
on a bolder scale and his head and horns have even 
more refinement than usually characterizes the Wil- 
ton family, to which his famous dam belongs. Tom 
is six months older than his half-brother and has 
done heavier work as a stock bull. He rests his 
claims for recognition rather upon his business ca- 
pacity than showyard finish. Free Lance had one 
of the best mothers ever seen in a Hereford herd — 
imp. Lady Wilton. He had a back like an English 
billiard table and a heart girth such as is not seen 
more than once in a decade. Tom is also possessed 
of all necessary substance, shows breadth of rib and 
loin proportioned to his inches and had for dam a 
daughter of Bredwardine by old Horace. The same 
breeder who would feel compelled to give Mr. Funk- 
houser 's remarkable bull a prize over Tom might 
prefer the latter for breeding purposes, but as to 
Free Lance's showyard strength there can be no 
dispute." 

Sotham's Sir Bredwell was easily first in two- 
year-olds, but in yearlings there was battle royal. 
Let us quote again from ''our favorite author": 

'*In yearlings two compact thick-fleshed bulls of 
outstanding merit had to be reckoned with — ^Hesiod 
29th 66304 and Thickset— the former of Mr. Funk- 



DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 643 

houser's breeding and now tlie property of Messrs 
Scott & March of Belton, Mo., and the latter bred 
and owned by Mr. Sotham of Weavergrace. Thickset 
is the stronger-backed bull, but Hesiod has the 
greater depth of body. The Corrector has the usual 
good head and horn of the Sotham stock, but the He- 
siod is also faultless in the same particulars. Thick- 
set has a grand chine and rib, but is fairly matched 
by Hesiod 's well covered shoulders and strong heart- 
girth. They are indeed a royal pair, and no show- 
yard decision can add to or detract from the fair 
fame of either. Hesiod 29th was given first and 
Mr. Sotham 's bull second." 

Beau Real's Maid, Juno, and Dewdrop. — 
In the cow class Clark's Peerless Wilton- Anxiety 
3d marvel Jessamine, with her furry coat, wonder- 
ful substance, flesh and finish, was unapproached, 
but in two-year-olds there was approximate perfec- 
tion in several quarters. This ring witnessed the 
meeting of Beau Eeal's Maid, Juno and Dewdrop — 
three of the best white-faced females bred in this 
country during the period under review. Sotham 's 
Lady Chloe was in the fight also, but was scarcely 
thought equal to the job of turning down either of 
the three first-named. The glorious uncertainty of 
the showyard, however, here found fresh exemplifi- 
cation. Sunny Slope's daughter of Beau Eeal had 
met and defeated Lady Chloe at Hamline. Juno had 
been seen at Indianapolis and Milwaukee" and in 
each case judgment was rendered for Beau Real's 
Maid. Dewdrop had met neither of these heifers at 
Des Moines. Our comment at the ringside follows : 

''Mr. Lewis began by throwing Mr. Funkhouser's 



644 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

broad deep daughter of Hesiod 2d entirely out of the 
running. She has not held just level in her mar- 
velous back. That must be admitted; but to cast 
Dewdrop altogether for that fault was a piece of 
judicial severity such as is rarely seen in a great 
showyard. This being decided upon, Lady Chloe 
was listed for third and the question was narrowed 
down to Beau Eeal's Maid and Juno for the blue and 
red. If some little lack of bloom cost Dewdrop all 
her chances then by that same token the freshness 
and finish of Beau Real's Maid should have landed 
her where she had been placed twice before this sea- 
son, in advance of Juno ; but the air seemed full of 
cobwebs about this time all the way down the long 
line of two-year-old Hereford and Shorthorn heif- 
ers being judged simultaneously in front of the 
grand stand, for while Brother Boyden was mixing 
up the 'red, white and roans' in a way that startled 
the assembled company Mr. Lewis upset things 
among the 'white faces' by sending first to Juno, 
second to the Maid, and third to Chloe! Juno is a 
heifer such as any man might well be proud to have 
produced, and there is of course ample room for 
honest difference of opinion as between her and 
Dewdrop and Beau Real's Maid. The fine scale and 
beautiful finish and refinement of the Cross heifer 
have seldom had a counterpart in western show- 
rings, and much as we appreciate Juno and Dewdrop 
we can but defend the right of Beau Real's Maid 
to head these 'crack' two-year-olds of 1897. They 
were a great lot and we congratulate Mr. Clark upon 
his good fortune here in beating probably the hand- 
somest heifer he has ever shown against. When his 
list of winnings for the past twenty years upon cat- 
tle of his own breeding comes to be made up what a 
story of showyard success will be unfolded!" 



BEFENDERS OF THE FAITH 645 

Sir Bredwell, Benita, Lady Cliloe, Lady Brenda 
and Georgina, drew tlie blue for Sotliam as best 
graded herd, uniformity of type being the rock upon 
which Lewis took his stand. Free Lance was champ- 
ion bull and Jessamine best female. 

Death of Adams Earl. — The founder of the 
Shadeland herd died in January, 1898. The part he 
had plaj^ed in the introduction and successful dis- 
semination of the Hereford blood has been outlined 
in preceding chapters, but the influence of his work 
with the ''white faces" was so far-reaching that he is 
by common consent accorded a permanent place in 
the American Hereford gallery of fame.* 

*Mr. Earl was born in Fairfield Co., C, in 1819, and came 
of New Eng-land stock. His parents removed to Indiana in 1836 
and settled upon the fertile Wea Plains, upon the borders of 
which the famous farm of Shadeland is located. Arriving at 
his majority he undertook about 1844 the marketing of farm 
products at New Orleans by means of flat-boats floated upon the 
Wabash, Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He subsequently engaged 
in merchandizing upon quite an extensive scale at Lafayette and 
ultimately became associated with the late Moses Fowler in 
various important enterprises, such as wholesaling groceries, 
banking, etc. In 1860 he engaged in pork and beef packing and 
a few years later became a partner in the Chicago house of Cul- 
bertson, Blair & Co. About 1870 he became the moving spirit 
in the building of a railway from Lafayette to Kankakee, which 
is now a part of the Big Four System, Mr. Earl being the presi- 
dent, general manager, and builder. Meantime, in connection with 
Mr. Fowler and A. D. Raub, he had purchased 36,000 acres of 
land in Benton county and spent large sums of money in tiling, 
fencing, building, etc., and so important were the operations of 
this syndicate that on their tender of $40,000 to build a court- 
house at the new town of Fowler the county voted to move the 
seat of local government to that point. 



CHAPTER XV. 
CLEARING SKIES. 

Early in the year 1896 it became apparent that 
values were rapidly recovering from the low levels 
established after the financial panic of 1893. Mr. 
C. S. Cross of Sunny Slope Farm, Emporia, Kans., 
sensing the advent of better days in the cattle trade, 
had sent John Steward to England in the autumn of 
1897 to select a high-class lot of cattle for importa- 
tion and sale. Needless to add, the purchases were 
made with strict regard for quality; Steward was 
commonly recognized as one of the best judges of 
Herefords of that period. Not only that, but he had 
a reputation for integrity that insured a faithful 
execution of his trust. Moreover, Harry Yeld, who 
had in the meantime gone back to his native land 
and who was in close touch with the best breeding 
establishments in Herefordshire, had been advised 
in advance of Steward's mission and requested to 
co-operate in locating and securing options upon 
some of the best young cattle on the market at that 
time. 

The Cross Importation. — The importation, con- 
sisting of 26 bulls and 15 heifers, was brought out in 
Mr. Yeld's charge and passing through quarantine 
at Garfield, N. J., arrived in time to be put on the 

616 



CLEARING SKIES 647 

market, along with a lot of well fitted home-bred 
stock, at Sunny Slope in March, 1898. The event 
aroused intense interest in American Hereford cattle 
breeding circles. It had been many years since any 
importations of consequence had been made. Prices 
had not only been so low as to discourage enterprise 
in that line, but the $100 fee for the registration of 
imported cattle was still in force, and the owners of 
large herds descended from the earlier importations 
were not slow to deny the necessity for any further 
recourse to the old-country stock. It was strenuously 
insisted that there was little if any occasion for any 
such extensive patronage of the English herds. It 
was claimed that better cattle were being bred and 
shown in the States than were being produced on the 
other side of the Atlantic. The extraordinary ex- 
cellence of the ' ' white faces ' ' being produced in the 
herds of such pioneer breeders as Gudgell & Simp- 
son, Clark and VanNatta and by the owners of valu- 
able cattle bred from the Culbertson, Earl & Stuart 
and later importations, as evidenced by the leading 
shows of that time, certainly gave color to the con- 
tention that America had really passed the mother- 
land in the matter of level-quartered, finely finished 
Herefords. 

Notwithstanding this natural opposition to the im- 
portation and sale of cattle brought out with specu- 
lative intent, there was now such a widespread wave 
of enthusiasm in behalf of good Herefords, and so 
insistent was the demand of the western range for 
white-faced bulls, that on the 2nd and 3rd of March, 



648 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



I 



1898, when Mr. Cross exposed his 150 head of im- 
ported and home-bred cattle for sale at auction, a 
crowd estimated as high as 3,000 people faced the 
auctioneers, Col. James W. Judy, Col. Fred M. 
Woods and Col. J. W. Sparks, when the selling be- 
gan. Mr. Cross reserved for his own use the im- 
ported bull Keep On. 

$3,000 for Salisbury. — The highest price paid 
was $3,000 for the imported two-year-old bull Salis- 
bury, bred by John Price. He was taken by Mr. 
Murray Boocock of Keswick, Va., who was at that 
time engaged in the formation of a Hereford herd, 
after a sharp contest with George W. Henry of 
Chicago and C. N. Whitman, the latter representing 
the owners of the Lucien Scott herd. W. S. VanNatta 
& Son secured the imported yearling March On, 
bred by Ed Yeld and sired by Lead On, a famous 
English stock bull that was unfortunately lost by 
accident just as he seemed to be entering upon a 
great career as a sire in the old country. This 
proved a fortunate purchase, and more will be heard 
of the bull and his get later on. One of the promising 
young bulls of the importation was the Turner-bred 
Saxon, that was sent into the ring with a reserve 
bid of $1,000. Others would have offered more 
money, but it was generally known tliat Mr. Cross 
really desired to retain the bull for his own use, and 
with the consent of the company he was therefore 
withdrawn. 

Good Buying by George H. Adams. — Bidding 
on the best females was active at strong prices, 



CLEARING SKIES 649 

the best price being $1,500, paid by George H. Adams 
of Crestone, Colo., owner of a 100,000-acre range in 
the San Luis Valley. This top figure was given for 
the two-year-old imported heifer Luminous, sired by 
Post Obit (11542). Mr. Adams was a persistent and 
liberal bidder throughout the entire sale, among 
his other selections being the three-year-old im- 
ported cow Leominster Daisy 2d by Lead On, taken 
out at $1,205. He also bought the good cow Miranda, 
by Wild Tom, and of Mr. Cross' own breeding at 
$905, his total purchases at the sale including 20 
head at an average of over $500 each. Mr. Adams 
was an enthusiastic advocate of the Herefords for 
use on western ranges, and maintained a fine herd 
of purebred cattle in addition to some 5,000 head of 
high-class grade "white faces." He had bought 
some 50 head of good breeding cattle when the large 
and superior herd of Thomas J. Higgins had been 
dispersed in Kansas. 

Over $400 Average for 144 Cattle.— This sale 
injected new life into the American Hereford cattle 
business. The 144 head sold for $58,585, an average 
of $407, in many respects one of the most extraordi- 
nary results ever attained on either side the water. 
Higher averages had been made, but not upon such 
a large number of animals. The 23 imported bulls 
brought an average of $616, the 14 imported females 
an average of $563, and the 107 home-bred lots 
fetched an average of $341. After the sale a num- 
ber of the lots changed hands at advanced prices. 
Mr. Whitman, who had bought the imported bull 



650 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Eandolph, of John Tudge's breeding, on the first 
day for $600, refused an offer of $1,000 for him on 
the following day. 

Mr. Cross was a prominent figure in the trade at 
this time. He was President of the First National 
Bank of Emporia, and a man of great enterprise, 
deeply interested in good cattle. He had first en- 
gaged in the business of breeding pedigree Here- 
fords at a time when he secured valuable foundation 
stock at beef prices. His relations with leading 
breeders of the cornbelt, as well as with the owners 
of the largest outfits on the western range, were inti- 
mate, and he did a large business at private treaty 
as well as at public auction. Shortly before his 
phenomenal sale of 1898 he had sold one lot of 
$3,500 worth of bulls, headed by the show bull 
Climax, to go to Texas. Unfortunately, as was 
afterwards developed, Mr. Cross had inherited cer- 
tain burdens and responsibilities in connection with 
the business of his bank which ultimately involved 
him in such loss and humiliation that in a moment 
of desperation in November, 1898, he took his own 
life at Sunny Slope Farm, his death being deeply 
mourned by the entire Hereford cattle breeding fra- 
ternity. Fortunately Mrs. Cross had participated 
in an active personal way in nearly all of his Here- 
ford cattle transactions, having a herd drawn main- 
ly from Sunny Slope sources. Mr. C. A. Stannard 
succeeded to the ownership of Sunny Slope Farm 
and became for many years a prominent figure in 
the trade. 



652 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Other Sales in the Spring of '98. — Business 
was now brisk all along the line. K. B. Armour sold a 
good lot of bulls to go in service in the herd of the 
Matador Co. in west Texas. Sotham sold 50 head 
at auction on April 13 at an average of $342, upon 
which occasion Wayne Pouting paid $1,575 for Ex- 
cellent, a two-year-old bull by Corrector. On April 
15 Scott & March of Belton, Mo., sold 93 head at an 
average of $215. In May William Humphrey of Ash- 
land, Neb., bought $9,000 worth of cattle of 0. H. 
Nelson, including 34 cows, at $200 each. H. M. Hill 
sold 34 head at Kansas City for an average of $393, 
and Gudgell & Simpson made an average on 60 head 
of $479. 

Beau Donald Shown. — The event of the year 
1898 in showyard circles was the Trans-Mississippi 
Exposition at Omaha. Exhibits at the earlier state 
fairs were light, owners preferring to hold back for 
the more important event. Still there were some 
interesting developments elsewhere. Sotham was 
without competition in Minnesota, but east of the 
river few ribbons were won by default. Frank Nave 
and John Hooker appeared at the York State Fair. 
Dale had gone on famously and backed up his New 
York championship by beating down all opposition 
later at Indianapolis, where the herds of Tom Clark, 
Clem Graves, Hooker and W. H. Curtice of Ken- 
tucky were entered. Curtice was showing the mas- 
sive, heavy-quartered, five-year-old in-bred Anxiety 
bull. Beau Donald 58996, by Beau Brummel 51817, 
and in the senior ])ull class won over Graves' Cherry 



CLEARING SKIES 653 

Ben. Dale had a walk-over in two-year-olds, and 
was subsequently made champion bull. Clark was 
strong this year, as always, in heifers of his own 
production, and gained the female championship of 
the Hoosier state with the great yearling Everest, 
daughter of Lars. At the Ohio State Fair Murray 
Boocock of Virginia came forward with a herd 
headed by his $3,000 purchase at the Cross sale, 
imp. Salisbury, and won most of the prizes. 

Dale vs. Sir Bredwell. — At the Illinois State 
Fair of '98 Mr. Nave's deep-fleshed Dale had gradu- 
ated into the three-year-old class, and met Sotham's 
Sir Bredwell, with Imboden on the bench. These 
bulls were of totally different types. Dale was broad, 
short-necked, thick and deep — as compact a block 
of beef as any breed ever throws — quite lacking in 
style and gayety of carriage. With a butcher-feeder 
as arbitrator it was no surprise that he here found 
favor. Sir Bredwell had scale, stretch, imposing 
presence and quality. As a breeding proposition 
most critics would have preferred Sir Bredwell at 
the time, but Dale certainly lived to vindicate his 
own prepotency and to confound all critics. 

Two In-bred Toppers: Everest and Benison. — 
The feature of the female classes was the struggle 
between Everest and Benison. This is the story as 
it was written at the time : 

''Tom Clark never bred a better one than Everest, 
and those who have followed our western shows for 
the past twenty j^ears will understand what such a 
statement means. But Sotliam never produced a 



654 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

more perfect lieifer than Benison; so here was a 
repetition of that memorable day when Grace and 
Jessamine met as yearlings in 1895 — with the tables 
turned. In that great trial of strength Mr. Clark 
won; in this instance the tide of battle turned in 
Sotham's favor. Little things sometimes decide 
such contests. The Clark heifer was bulling the day 
of this showing. Benison might be bigger but not 
better. She is a heifer of exquisite finish shown in 
great bloom. She has a back and loin of marvelous 
perfection, capital quarters, a twist filled to a finish, 
model shoulders, and short neat legs. Everest is 
bigger and thicker, with handsome head, nobly 
arched ribs deeply covered, and carries her burly 
body on well set 'pegs.' She is wonderful in her 
wealth of flesh, and barring a little inclination to 
bunch at the tail-root, is smooth and true in all her 
lines." 

The fact that these top heifers were products 

of blood concentration is of interest. Everest had 
double lines to both Anxiety 3d and to the great 
cow Peerless. Her sire, Lars, was the result of the 
coupling of those animals, and her dam, Eletta 2d, 
was by Peerless Wilton, a son of old Peerless, out of 
a daughter of Anxiety 3d. Benita was a double 
Corrector, her sire. Protection, and her dam, Benita, 
both being by old ''Dad" — Sotham's pet name for 
the bull that made Weavergrace famous. 

The Omaha Exposition. — The Herefords were 
the outstanding feature of the live stock department 
of the great exposition held at Omaha in 1898, and 
we feel warranted in again quoting from our own 
notes on certain phases of this big show: 

"The American Hereford Cattle Breeders' Asso- 



i 



CLEARING SKIES 655 

ciation added $3,000 to the exposition company's 
rather meager prizes. This bonus, together with the 
prevailing activity in the west in white-faced cattle, 
drew out an incomparable display in this section — 
the largest and best of its kind ever seen in the 
United States and eclipsing the average exhibit of 
the Ijreed seen at the annual meetings of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England. The size and 
quality of the classes throughout — excepting only 
that for aged bulls — aroused the enthusiasm of 
visitors to the highest pitch. The great amphi- 
theater was packed while the Hereford judging was 
in progress, the spectators evincing keen interest in 
the work. The difficult proposition of passing upon 
this record-breaking exhibit was assumed by Mr. 
Claude Makin of Florence, Kans., and it is a pleas- 
ure to be able to state that this trying task was dis- 
charged with singular accuracy and impartiality. 
A more satisfactory piece of work of this character 
has rarely been seen in American showyards. 
Awards were given by wire in our last, except the 
group and championship prizes, which were not as- 
signed as last week's Gazette went to press. "We 
now supply details as to the showing throughout. 

"The list of exhibitors included C. S. Cross, Em- 
poria, Kans.; T. F. B. Sotham, Chillicothe, Mo.; 
George H. Adams, Crestone, Colo.; F. A. Nave, 
Attica, Ind.; William S. VanNatta & Son, Fowler 
Ind. ; Gudgell & Simpson, Independence, Mo.; 
James A. Funkhouser, Plattsburg, Mo. ; Scott &, 
March, Belton, Mo. ; Cornish & Patton, Osborn, Mo. ; 
C. G. Comstock, Albanv, Mo. ; Peter Mouw of Sioux 
Co., la. ; Z. T. Kinsell, Mount Ayr, la. ; C. H. Elmen- 
dorf of Nebraska ; Stanton Farm Co., of Nebraska ; 
Steward & Hutcheon of Greenwood, Mo., and E. E. 
Day of Cass Co., Neb." 



656 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Sir Bredwell Beats Free Lance. — ''There' 
was but one light show in the entire section — that 
seen in the senior bull class. Dale went back here 
among the two-year-olds under the rules for com- 
puting ages at the exposition, so that the tourney 
was opened by a tilt between Funkhouser's Free 
Lance and Sotham's Sir Bredwell. The pitcher that 
goes to the well each day is sooner or later broken. 
The big son of Beau Real and Lady Wilton has 
dared defeat on many a hotly contested field the past 
four years, and has borne back to Plattsburg in 
triumph spoils of showy a rd war that will furnish a 
theme for many a fireside tale in the years to come 
as his many battles royal are recalled. But here 
he fell before the superior freshness, bloom and 
character of his younger antagonist. The doughty 
old warrior's weight could not prevail against Sir 
Bredwell's superior front and smoothly carried 
flesh. Such is the way of the world. Show bulls 
meet the common fate. Repeated fittings and pass- 
ing years render it difficult for even the kingliest 
of them all to hold their own indefinitely against the 
rude assaults of active aspirants for leadership 
among the younger element. At five and one-half 
years of age Free Lance relinquished showyard 
sovereignty at Omaha last week to the three-year- 
old son of Corrector and Beatrice. Bovine monarch 
never possessed a more regal presence than the 
newly chosen champion. It may seem a somewhat 
heartless proposition, that nerve-jarring vivat of 
the French, but in it is condensed the whole philos- 
ophy of the inevitable : ' The king is dead, long live 
the king!' " 

Dale Wins Again. — "We now approach tlio 
most sensational string of young bulls of any beef 
breed seen in this country since that memorable day 
when Fowler, Bowdoin, Sergeant Major, Broad- 



CLEARING SKIES 657 

breast, Cedric and the rest of that comely company 
locked horns at Chicago in 1885. The two-year-old 
class at Omaha will indeed be long remembered by 
all who were so fortunate as to be present when 
the lines were formed. Mr. Nave's Dale 66481 has 
already had his portrait painted in these columns 
this season in the warmest colors at our command 
He came here with Sir Bredwell's scalp at his belt — 
presented by Imboden in the three-year-old class at 
Springfield — prepared to meet Sotham's other well 
equipped champion Thickset, chief of all bulls of his 
age of any beef breed at HamlinCi He came to meet 
also that other 'warrior bold,' Scott & March's great 
Hesiod 29th, brought out by Mr. Godfrey at this 
show in astonishing form and bloom. He struck also 
the shield of Sunny Slope's well clad knight Keep 
On — fetched all the way from Herefordshire to test 
the mettle of our western Herefords. And if by 
chance he were able to successfully, run the gauntlet 
of these his most powerful adversaries, there still 
remained to be dealt with Gudgell & Simpson's Don 
Carlos bull Douglas, and two sons of the World's 
Fair champion Ancient Briton. It was a daring 
undertaking, this single-handed challenge of Dale 
against the flower of all the great trans-Mississippi 
herds. Thickset alone of all liis foes had been, like 
himself, doing the grand circuit. The rest had been 
held in reserve all season for this attack. For weeks 
and months preparation for this day had been going 
steadily forward. All the arts known to the feeder's 
and fitter's craft had been exhausted in an effort to 
place these favorites in the arena in the pink of 
perfection; and right here The Gazette desires to 
pav a passing tribute of respect to the capacity, in- 
telligence and fidelity of the men who had in their 
immediate charge the 'making up' of these bulls. 
Such patience, skill and judgment as has been dis- 



658 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

played in this work deserves the highest commenda- 
tion. 

"More than any other exhibitor in his class Mr. 
Nave is indebted to the man behind the bull for suc- 
cess achieved. Dale is a dream — one of those phe- 
nomenal feeders that occasionally fall into the 
hands of careful fitters and by their peculiar ca- 
pacity for putting on flesh with astonishing rapidity 
and absolute levelness round out into marvelous per- 
fection of form. As a model carcass he is easily the 
sensation of the season. Mr. Makin met the general 
approbation of the- great throng that had assembled 
to witness the contest by assigning the post of honor 
to this extraordinary bull. Such evenness from end 
to end, such ripeness, smoothness and rotundity 
have rarely if ever been seen in the American show- 
yard. As a feeder's and butcher's type he is fault- 
less. With Dale at the head the problem as to what 
to do with Thickset and Hesiod 29th became a seri- 
ous one. It was generally conceded that Keep On 
in his present form, good as he is, could scarcely 
hope for a better rating than fourth in such a group 
of high-class bulls." 

Thickset and Hesiod 29th. — "After an ex- 
tended examination the judge drew Thickset in for 
second, with Hesiod 29th in third place. Makin had 
clearly the four best bulls to the front. As to that 
all were agreed; but there were many who would 
have stood the Hesiod in front of the Corrector. 
This it was argued would have been the logical ar- 
rangement, as the Scott & March bull is nearer the 
type of Dale than Sotham's. In this connection the 
weights and ages are of interest. Dale and Hesiod 
stand each other off at 2,040 pounds. Thickset beats 
them both, pulling down 2,200 pounds. Dale was 
dropped in September, 1895, Hesiod 29th on Oct. 6, 




FRANK A. NAVE. 



660 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

1895, and Thickset on Feb. 20, 1896. The latter is 
big, smooth, mellow, high-styled and strong-quar- 
tered, wide between the eyes — indicating the good 
doer that he is — but perhaps a little thin in horn and 
muzzle. Hesiod 29th, like Dal-e, will never be a big 
one, but his was the one perfect head and horn of 
the entire class. In point of breeding character, 
as revealed in head and face, this bull is the peer of 
Sir Bredwell. In compactness, breadth and depth 
of carcass he fairly rivals Dale. Not so perfectly 
padded at every point perhaps — he has been work- 
ing as well as preparing for show — he has the same 
general feeding quality coupled with the front of a 
bull that should make a royal stock-getter, possibly 
the most valuable of the class for breeding purposes. 
Although Mr. Sotham had the satisfaction of having 
Thickset placed one notch above him, Weavergrace 
was quick to see the superb character of Hesiod 29th 
and offered $2,000 for him after the show was over, 
which flattering proposition was declined with 
thanks by his appreciative owner. Keep On is 
smooth and mellow in his flesh, round, low and 
heavy, but he has inherited a wide-spread horn and 
a muzzle somewhat lacking in breadth. There is 
ample distance between his eyes, however, and this 
certain index of a kindly feeder is backed up by a 
carcass that is both ripe and rich. Nave's Earl of 
Shadeland 22d bull Gold Dollar 73652 was drawn 
into fifth place and Steward & Hutcheon's Rose 
Chief 68945, smooth, low and with plenty of style, 
was sixth." 

This competition was of such historic interest 
that we here record also what happened among the 
yearling bulls and calves. Our descriptions will 
not only give a clue to the individual character of 
the competing animals, but these accounts of the 



CLEARING SKIES G61 

leading shows of that period indicate the blood that 
was producing the tops and the men who were in the 
van of Hereford progress. We quote : 

George Adams' Orpheus. — "A long line of year- 
ling bulls proved very perplexing, really a more 
ditticult class to judge than the two-year-olds. One 
either had to begin with Mr. George H. Adams' big, 
strong-backed, broad-loined Wild Tom bull Orpheus 
71100 or with one of the low-down, blocky sort, of 
which there were several fine specimens present. 
As a result of his preliminary examination Mr. 
Makin drew out a leet comprising the following 
in the order named: VanNatta's Lincoln 2d, by 
Cherry Boy out of Old Lark; Steward & Hutcheon's 
Bovic 79124, by Benson 64017; Sunny Slope's Cli- 
max 4th, by Climax; Sotham's Grandee, by Cor- 
rector; Gudgell & Simpson's Dandy Rex 71689, by 
Lamplighter; Adams' Orpheus, of Sunny Slope 
breeding. It is worthy of note in this connection 
that the three bulls at the head were all of VanNatta 
extraction. Having drawn Dale to the top in the 
previous class it was not surprising, therefore, that 
the judge on final examination went to that broad 
block of 'baby beef,' Bovic, for first choice, sending 
Lincoln 2d down for the red ticket. Bovic was easily 
the shortest-legged bull in the bunch, carrying 1,500 
pounds in about as small compass and as near to the 
ground as is ever seen in the showyard. He is 
exceedingly rich in his flesh, full in his neckveins 
and remarkable at the twist, a rare feeding type, 
ripened as nicely as one would expect from two such 
experienced feeders as John Steward and Will 
Hutcheon, his owners. Lincoln 2d is a grand- 
fronted bull, strong in his girth, deep and well 
spread in his ribs, even and rich at the loin, but 
with hips a bit prominent. Climax 4th was not 



662 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

disturbed for third place. He lias one of the hand- 
somest heads carried by any bull seen at the show, 
a finely arched back well covered, a great loin, is 
well let down at the twist, and stands on short neat 
legs. He fails a bit from hip to tail, but has im- 
proved a lot in his handling and is now one of the 
great yearlings of the day. In retaining Sotham's 
Grandee for fourth Mr. Makin ran counter to the 
judgment of most of the outside talent. Gudgell & 
Simpson's Dandy Rex, with his good back (despite 
a 'tie' in it), strong quarters and short legs, and 
Orpheus should probably have gone in next to Cli- 
max 4th, but the judge found points of excellence 
in Grandee and Adams' other entry, Zapola Chief 
70034, that led him to list them in the order named, 
ahead of Rex and Orpheus. We can scarcely ap- 
prove of this rating ; still Grandee looks like coming 
into an extra two-year-old and Zapola Chief, with 
his good head, big chest, depth and thickness of car- 
cass, is a bull of strong parts." 

Hesiods Again. — ''In bull calves Mr. Funkhouser 
forged to the front, scoring a double victory on his 
fine pair of Hesiod 2ds, Hesiod 46th and Hesiod 
50th. Makin first picked the big stylish 1,120-pound 
Hesiod 46th for first, but ultimately turned him 
down to second and moved up his half-brother into 
first place, a transposition which met with the gen- 
eral approbation of the spectators. Hesiod 50th, the 
winner, is a brother to Hesiod 30tli, now the prop- 
erty of Mr. N. "W. Leonard. He is exceptionally 
wide, low and thick. He carries the splendid head 
seen in nearly all the get of Mr. Funkhouser 's great 
stock bull, has plenty of hair, stands wide behind 
and is as neat as he is ripe. Hesiod 46th also carries 
a great coat, shows beautiful character in his head 
and face and possesses splendid style. He is not 
quite so level and true in his lines as the first-prize 



III 



CLEARING SKIES 663 

calf. His breeding is superb, his dam having been 
Dream by Washington, second dam the great Miss 
Beau Real by Beau Real, third dam Bertha by Ru- 
dolph. 

''The third-prize calf, Cornish & Patton's Prince 
Otto, is one of the very best youngsters seen on the 
circuit this year, and should probably have had sec- 
ond place. He is evenly good from end to end, hav- 
ing a fine head, well covered shoulders, an evenly 
spread back, good depth, covers smoothly over the 
hips, has straight well filled quarters, low flanks and 
ample scale. He has been sold to Miller & Balch of 
Missouri. Steward & Hutcheon were fourth on 
Dixie, a very wide, smooth, low-legged December 
calf that has been reserved for use in their choice lit- 
tle herd of 'white faces' at Greenwood. Like their 
first-prize yearling bull Bovic, Dixie is a son of Ben- 
son 46017, he by Anxiety 4th. Mr. Nave 's Duke of 
Fairview 4th, good in his flesh, with a furry coat 
and capital head, was fifth, and Mr. Cross' Elvira's 
Archibald, a strapping big son of Archibald 5th, 
with great spread of rib and loin, was sixth. A calf 
in this ring that attracted considerable attention was 
Gudgell & Simpson's Beau Dux, especially strong in 
his quarters and flanks, and sold to Mr. Funkhouser. 
He was sired by Beau Brummel 51817." 

The Great Cows and Heifers of 1898.— We 
cannot better reflect the character of the Hereford 
females of this era than by reproducing the follow- 
ing account of the female rings at this exposition 
as published in "The Breeder's Gazette" the week 
following the awards: 

Dewdrop. — "There were seventeen entries in the 
cow class, and a hot finish was witnessed between 
Funkhouser 's Dewdrop, by Hesiod 2d, Sunny 



664 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Slope's Beau Real's Maid, and Nave's fine Anxiety- 
Monarch cow Atoka, of Shadeland breeding. The big 
Maud Muller, that won first for Mr. Nave at Spring- 
field, was properly set back to fourth place. Dew- 
drop and the Maid gave Mr. Makin a lot of trouble. 
The superb front of the Cross cow was hard to get 
over. She has weakened a bit at the rump since 
calving and might be a bit heavier at the thigh, but 
her grandly spread and deeply covered ribs and 
beautiful shoulders have rarely been excelled in 
western showyards. Dewdrop is of rather a blockier 
pattern and was shown with plenty of hair. She has 
the Hesiod beauty of head and horn and is extreme- 
ly short on the leg, with broad ribs deeply laden, in 
fact, one of the greatest flesh-carriers of any breed in 
the cattle department. She wants a little between 
the hips and tail-root, but conformed so closely to 
the judge's apparent ideal as respects breadth and 
depth without height that he at length awarded her 
premier position. Sentiment about the arena was 
well divided as between this royal pair. Mr Nave's 
Atoka, that received third honors, is a cow of beau- 
tiful lines, in fact almost a perfect parallelogram, 
her long, level and well finished carcass being car- 
ried close to the ground on neat bone. Like all of 
Mr. Nave's entries she is shown with a great wealth 
of hair and is in admirable bloom. She has a fine 
face, excellent shoulders, good finish at the tail, al- 
though wanting a little behind the hips. She shows 
rather too much 'leather' under the jaws for an 
ideal show cow, but is so neat, level and symmetrical 
and is shown in such beautiful condition that she is 
a prime favorite wherever she goes and had friends 
here for the blue. She certainly made as strong a 
third-prize cow as ever held that position in this 
country. Her stable companion, the massive Maud 
Muller, was fourth and Sotham's Benita fifth. The 



CLEARING SKIES 665 

latter is a cow of superb breeding character with a 
table-back, but is criticized sharply in her hind legs. ' ' 
Dolly 5th. — "Eleven head of two-year-old heifers 
were next presented. The tops were found in Mr. 
Adams' Luminous and Miranda, Funkhouser's De- 
light, Nave's Dolly 5th, Sunny Slope's Pretty Maid 
and Sotham's Lady Brenda. Close comparison be- 
tween these fine heifers brought out many differ- 
ences of opinion. The judge first drew in at the head 
of the list Delight, but subsequently moved Mr. 
Nave's Dolly 5tli ahead. Dolly is a heifer of fine 
scale and substance, showing great width of rib and 
extraordinary depth of body. Although a bit heavy 
ill her horn she is very nice in her shoulders, full in 
her neckveins, remarkably heavy in her chine, full 
in the twist, and stands well on good short legs. 
Dolly was sired by Java 64045, a brother to Mr. 
VanNatta's champion steer Jack, having been sired 
by Hengler out of Jewel Fowler 49207. Delight re- 
ceived the red ribbon on account of her scale and 
great strength of back, her ribs and loin being richly 
furnished with thick flesh. Her horn is good but 
she has a trifle too much length of face. She is a 
daughter of Free Lance. It seemed rather hard to 
turn down so fine a heifer as Luminous to third 
place but it must be remembered that she has prob- 
ably journeyed farther by land and sea during the 
past year than any other animal at this show. She 
wasimported fromEngland by Mr. Cross last fall and 
bought by her Colorado owner at the Sunny Slope 
sale in March. She was shipped to the San Luis 
Valley and back again for this show to the Missouri 
River. She is of scarcely as blocky a type as the 
heifers that had precedence over her in this class, 
but will certainly grow into a great cow. Fourth 
honors fell upon Mr. Cross' Pretty Maid, by Wild 
Tom, a heifer carrying a tremendous lot of flesh 



666 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

upon a very wide back; but she is a little uneven 
in her top and quarters. Her half-sister, Mr. Ad- 
ams' Miranda, by Wild Tom, is a great block of 
beef, as nearly without legs as is possible to breed 
a beef animal. She is wonderful in her neckveins, 
but does not carry her back altogether level, is 
growing a bit gaudy about the rump, and stands 
badly behind, showing the effect of her long rail- 
way shipment. She was one of the very ripest heif- 
ers in the lot, and there were many who could not 
understand why she was turned down to as low 
a position as fifth. Sotham's Lady Brenda, with her 
good heartgirth, nicely arched ribs and strong loin, 
was sixth in the judge's rating." 

Diana. — "The yearling heifers were headed by 
Diana, the remarkable 'chunk' that gained so many 
victories as a calf for Mr. Cross at the great fairs 
of 1897. She is almost as extraordinary, a carcass 
as Dale, a feeder's type par excellence, but wanting 
the finish of head and horn seen in Sotham's brown- 
eyed beauty Benison, by Protection out of Benita. 
Makin was. sorely tempted to put Benison to the 
fore. She is not big but is one of the finest models 
sent into western showyards in many years. Femi- 
nine and finished, she is lovely in her neck and shoul- 
ders, thick and true in back and loin, evenly filled, 
well balanced and shapely. The breadth and extra- 
ordinary thickness of Diana proved an attraction 
that could not be resisted however, and the wonder- 
ful daughter of that great getter of quick feeders — 
Sunny Slope's Archibald 5th — was left in undis- 
puted possession of the post of honor. Third place 
was assigned to Mr. Funkhouser's Olga, calved Jan. 
13, 1897, and sired by Hesiod 2d. She has the Hesiod 
trademark, a beautiful head and face, an elegant 
back of even width, well filled at all the feeding 
points, and like all the Hesiods low on the leg. She 



CLEARING SKIES 667 

is shown with a great coat and much wealth of flesh. 
Gudgell & Simpson were fourth on a LampUghter 
heifer known as Mischievous 71758. She is a big, 
deep-bodied, thick-fleshed one with great chine, fine- 
ly covered shoulders and yellow skin. Funkhouser's 
other Hesiod heifer. Level 71470, was fifth." 

Carnation. — "There were seventeen heifer calves 
in line, and Nave had the honor of bearing the 
blue with the well grown and nicely conditioned 
Carnation, by Acrobat 68460 — of Mr. Earl's breed- 
ing — out of Erica 51st 41238 by Garfield, second dam 
Lady Wilton 26th by Sir Bartle Frere. She shows 
her fine breeding in her pretty face, and her feeding 
quality is indicated by her full flanks and neck veins. 
She has good length and nice quarters, altogether a 
fine promise for a handsome cow. Mr. Cross got 
next to the Hoosier heifer with Miss Grove, by Cli- 
max, a prime block of baby beef, great in her quar- 
ters and twist, nicely spread on the back, and 'peg- 
ged' near to the ground. Funkhouser drew third on 
Rollela, another good-backed Hesiod. Sotham pulled 
fourth out of this hot fire with Silence, by Correc- 
tor, and Steward & Hutcheon fifth with Queenie, by 
Benson. Mr. Adams' furry-haired January calf 
Graceful Gift ought to have had rank here some- 
where among these sappy white-faced lassies." 

Group and Championship Prizes. — The grand 
finale at this epoch-making show is thus set forth : 

**The senior herd prize was awarded to the well- 
brought-out cattle of Mr. Nave. This enterprising 
young Indiana breeder should feel very poud of this 
triumph, achieved as it was in the face of the compe- 
tition of so many veteran showmen. The Funk- 
houser herd was second. Cross third, Sotham fourth, 
and Gudgell & Simpson fifth. There were eight con- 
testants for the young herd prize, the right of the 



668 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

line being held at the finish by Mr. Funkhouser with 
a lot headed by the handsome young Hesiod 50th. 
The Sunny Slope entries, led by the showy Climax 
4th, were second, Sotham third, Gudgell & Simpson 
fourth, and G. H. Adams fifth. 

"There was a large and interesting show made 
for the get-of-bull and produce-of-eow prizes. Mr. 
Sotham succeeded in winning for best four animals 
the get of one sire on the progeny of Corrector; 
Funkhouser was second with Hesiods; Cross was 
third on the get of Archibald 5th ; Steward & Hutch- 
eon were fourth on stock by Benson, and Gudgell & 
Simpson fifth on Lamplighter. The produce-of-cow 
prize for best two head of either sex was also gained 
by Mr. Sotham with Sir Bredwell and Benefice. Mr. 
Nave was second on the progeny of the Shadeland 
cow Erica 51st, Sotham third on Grandee and Gene- 
vieve out of Gaily, Gudgell & Simpson fourth on 
the progeny of Miss Charmer 4th, and the Stanton 
Co. fifth on a pair from Hare Bell. 

"Sir Bredwell, Mr. Sotham 's three-year-old, was 
made bull champion after a spirited contest with Mr. 
Nave's Dale. There can be no question whatever as 
to the marked superiority of Dale at the present 
time, viewed purely from the standpoint of the 
feeder and the butcher, but Sir Bredwell 's fine breed 
character sufficed to carry the judge to the older 
bull. Dale was rated second, Bovic third. Thickset 
fourth, and Hesiod 50th fifth. Funkhouser 's Dew- 
drop was made champion female, Nave's Dolly 5th 
second, Cross' Diana third, Sotham 's Benison 
fourth, and Sunny Slope's Beau Real's Maid fifth." 

K. B. Armour Active. — Kirk B. Armour of 
Kansas City had by this time become intensely in- 
terested in the Herefords, and had made a large 
importation from England. He not only brought 




K. B. ARMOUR. 



670 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ample means and a genuine personal enthusiasm 
to the work, but had the assistance of such able lieu- 
tenants as Frank Hastings, then a member of his 
"Packing House Cabinet" and subsequently with 
the Swensons at Stamford, Tex., and of William 
Cummings, one of the most experienced cattle buy- 
ers in the west. Mr. Armour made a number of im- 
portations from Herefordshire in succeeding years. 
Late in October he made the good average of 
$385 on 113 head of imported and home-bred cat- 
tle sold at Kansas City. At this sale Murdo Mac- 
Kenzie, manager for the Matador Land and Cattle 
Co., paid $1,000 for the bull Shore Acres. George 
W. Henry gave $1,000 for the good stock bull Kan- 
sas Lad. T. F. B. Sotham took Lady Laurel and 
Frank Nave got Lalla Rookh at $1,000 each. Scott 
& Whitman bought imp. True Lass at a bid of $1,025. 

Death of George W. Henry. — It was during 
this two-day sale that Mr. George W. Henry of Chi- 
cago died suddenly at the Midland Hotel. Mr. 
Henry had been one of the most active promoters of 
Hereford breeding during the ''eighties," but after 
selling Rossland Park had dropped out of the trade 
for some years. He had subsequently, however, 
bought the old Reed Farm near Goodenow, 111., and 
was engaged in founding a second herd, under the 
capable management of Mr. John Letham, when 
suddenly stricken while in attendance at this sale. 

Another Gudgell-Funkhouser Sale. — At Kan- 
sas City, on Nov. 15 and 16, 1898, Messrs. Gudgell 
& Simpson and James A. Funkhouser sold 97 head 



CLEARING SKIES 671 

of cattle for $27,000, an average of $278. Buying 
for western range and Texas account was active, 
and J. M. Curtice took out the twelve-montli-old bull 
Hesiod SOtli at $1,400. William Powell, who was now 
located in Texas, and Hon. John Sparks of Nevada, 
and 0. Harris of Missouri, a man of whom there is 
much to be heard later, were liberal buyers. 

Death of Charles B. Stuart. — Through the 
death of Charles B. Stuart at Lafayette, Ind., on 
the 20th of February, 1899, the Hereford breed, and 
more particularly the Hereford association, lost 
an ardent, efficient, intelligent, forceful and re- 
sourceful champion. The vital factor in the up- 
building of the Shadeland herd, he had been a mem- 
ber of the executive committee of the herd book 
society from its first organization, and was serving 
his seventeenth consecutive year as the ''live wire" 
of that powerful committee at the time of his de- 
cease. He had seen the business of the organization 
grow from next to nothing up to the point where its 
assets exceeded its liabilities by more than $35,000, 
and volume 22 of the record published in 1900 con- 
tained 10,000 entries. 

Following closely upon the decease of Mr. Earl, 
as already recorded, Mr. Stuart's death came as a 
distinct shock to the Hereford cattle breeding fra- 
ternity on both sides the water. Overwork and in- 
cessant application tell the whole story of his break- 
ing down while yet a comparatively young man. 
Nervous prostration overtook him while in the flood- 
tide of professional and business success, and a ca- 



672 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

reer of uncommon brilliancy closed ere it had been 
fully unfolded. 

A son of tlie late Judge William Z. Stuart of 
the Indiana Supreme Bench, the deceased took up 
the practice of law after graduating from Amherst 
College and the Columbia Law School and quickly 
attained reputation as one of the keenest-witted at- 
torneys of the Indiana Bar. For many years he 
was entrusted with the legal business of the Wabash 
Railway Co., originating in that state, besides be- 
ing retained in many important cases before the 
highest judicial trilmnals. His wife, who survived 
him, was a daughter of Mr. Earl, who was one of the 
leading business men of Lafayette, and Mr. Stuart's 
fine judgment and acknowledged talent were in con- 
stant requisition in connection with the promotion 
and development of large industrial and financial 
enterprises. In business and in his professional 
work Mr. Stuart was equally successful, but he 
paid a fearful penalty for his assumption of bur- 
dens beyond any one man's powers of endurance. 

Mr. Stuart had a genius for mastering the details 
of any subject to which he gave his attention. He 
became not only an expert judge of Herefords, but 
as a student of bloodlines and combinations he was 
confessedly one of the best informed men on either 
side of the Atlantic. The Shadeland catalogs of his 
preparation were for years models of their kind and 
brimming with facts and comments of value to his 
fellow-breeders. He was partial to the Wilton blood, 
and the Stocktonbury cattle and this great Wabash 



CLEARING SKIES G73 

Valley Hereford breeding establishment proved a 
mine of bovine wealth to the west. In judicious 
combination with crosses from. Colorado, Sir Rich- 
ard 2d and Horace (through Garfield and The 
Grove 3d) the daughters of Lord Wilton and of his 
famous son Sir Bartle Frere gave xVmerican state 
fairs and fat stock shows some of the most remark- 
able cattle this country has ever seen. The record- 
breaking bull Earl of Shadeland 22d was the pride 
of Mr. Stuart's heart. x\merica has known few as 
good in any beef breed. 

Happy indeed were the days the overworked at- 
torney used to snatch away from business and 
spend among his four-footed pets at Shadeland 
Farm. Had he devoted more time to the cattle 
and less to his office he doubtless would have lived a 
longer life. With a few edibles from the city mar- 
kets under the seat, and a congenial companion by 
his side, Mr Stuart liked nothing better than to 
turn his back to the town, intent upon a day's outing 
at the farm. ''Uncle John" Lewis knew upon such 
occasions that he had come to take luncheon with 
Mrs. Lewis, and while the good wife of the kindly 
old herdsman was preparing a collation fit for a 
premier of the realm, old "Bartle" or Garfield or 
some of the boxes filled with sappy white-faced ba- 
bies would be hastily visited. The newest arrival 
was always an object of interest and if anything 
was ailing in any way it was certain to receive an 
early call. The noon-day meal over and the pug 
puppies duly discussed, the grand tour was com- 



674 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

menced. Mr. Stuart was fond of drawing out his 
guests wlien favorite cattle were under examination. 
Sometimes visitors would hit upon Lewis' favorite 
and sometimes upon Mr. Stuart's choice. Often- 
times the herdsman and his steadfast friend would 
already have agreed upon one that was to be put 
aside as too good to part with. Still there was 
always ample scope for argument, and Stuart had 
the lawyer's real relish for debating the fine points. 
In this respect Mr. Earl was quite different. He 
was a man of few words but nevertheless enjoyed 
these Hereford '' sessions" quite as thoroughly as 
any other member of the party. 

Memory recalls few fairer scenes than we have 
witnessed in the Shadeland pastures. The herd 
was usually kept in strong condition and carefully 
sorted by ages, sexes and type. The various bands 
of cows and heifers never failed to make a great im- 
pression upon visitors, and in its palmy days Shade- 
land was easily the great show place of the United 
States as a Hereford uursery. In the course of all 
our journeyings to the farm, however, we do not be- 
lieve that the question as to which was the best cow 
of the herd in its prime was ever really settled. 
We once went through the lot with Mr. Earl, Mr. 
Stuart, John S. Carlyle and John Lewis; we recall 
readily Mr. Earl's quiet conservatism, Mr. Stuart's 
keen analysis of form, Mr. Carlyle 's brusque opin- 
ions (usually dashed with broad Scotch wit), and 
the modest courteous comment of Lewis. Those 
sunny summer days will come again. The grass 



CLEARING SKIES 675 

will grow as green. The "Wabash in the distance 
will yet roll its turbid flood through the dreamy 
woodlands, but the old associations are broken, 
never to be re-formed amidst earthly scenes. 

Spring Sales of 1899. — Sotham opened the ball 
at Kansas City on March 1 by selling 46 head of 
cattle for the fine average of $516. Col. C. C. 
Slaughter of Texas took out the show bull Sir 
Bredwell at $5,000, Mr. Frank Nave's representa- 
tive, Mr. Keyt, being the ''runner up." Mr. Nave 
was reported to have offered $7,500 for the famous 
son of Corrector a few days later, but the bix Texan 
replied, "Not for $10,000." Nave got the yearling 
bull Eye Opener, by Protection, at $1,100. This was 
the second highest average up to date made on Here- 
fords in the United States, Mr. Earl having reg- 
istered $574.20 on 38 head at Kansas City, Nov. 8, 
1883. 

On the day following this sale Mr. F. A. Nave sold 
at Kansas City 49 head at an average of $383, the 
top price being $1,075, given by Mr. Armour for the 
heifer Armel, by Columbus, the sire of Dale, Grant 
Hornaday of Ft. Scott, Kans., followed with an of- 
fering of 38 head which averaged $350, Col. Slaugh- 
ter taking the Corrector bull Sir Comewell at $1,600. 
Mr. Frank Eockefeller of Cleveland, 0., was a free 
buyer of good lots at each of these sales for his 
ranch at Belvidere, Kans. 

While no sensational figures were reached at the 
April sales at Kansas City by C. A. Stannard and 
Scott & March, about 200 cattle were sold at good 



676 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

fair prices. There were 97 head in the Sunny Slope 
lot that averaged $177.30, the best price being $555 
for the lieifer Ashton Bloom with a bull calf at foot 
by the $3,000 imp. Salisbury. The Scott & March 
offering of 99 head made $192. This was a specially 
good lot of lireeding cattle brought forward in beau- 
tiful bloom l)y the herd manager, Mr. Godfrey. 

The Curtain Falls on Stirring Scenes.— As the 
century drew to its close in the autumn of 1899 
the apotheosis of the Hereford in America was 
reached. All that the fondest admirers of the 
"white faces" had ever predicted for the breed had 
now come true. The Hereford had entered into 
full and almost undisputed possession of the great 
cattle ranges of the west, thus opening up a field 
infinitely broader than the Herefordshire fathers 
had ever dreamed. 

By judicious concentrations of the blood of the 
earlier importations a type of cattle had been 
evolved that in point of finish, levelness and smooth- 
ness clearly surpassed the Herefords of old Here- 
fordshire. The appeal to the magic power of in- 
and-in breeding by men possessing the experience 
imperatively demanded for its wise application was 
now manifesting itself marvelously in every show- 
yard. A realization of this fact added the joy that 
always accompanies the accomplishment of a sus- 
tained purpose to the intense enthusiasm attending 
tlie conquest of the grassy empire dominated by the 
snow-clad summits of the Rockies. 

Big men in Texas, big men all through the great 



CLEARING SKIES 677 

breeding grounds of the southwest, big men in Colo- 
rado, big men in Montana and Wyoming, big men 
in the Dakotas, big men in Kansas and Nebraska, 
big men in the cornbelt were banded together in 
the American Hereford Cattle Breeders' Associa- 
tion in proud possession of a captured market. They 
felt their power and proceeded to use it in effective 
fashion in promoting the general good. 

Inception of the American Royal. — The Here- 
ford association working through eflicient com- 
mittees held a never-to-be-forgotten show at Kansas 
City, in which 541 highly fitted cattle participated, 
and nearly 300 head were sold at auction at an av- 
erage of $317. At this sale John Sparks, after- 
wards Governor of Nevada, paid $2,500 for the 
beautiful Armour Rose. Col. Slaughter paid $1,950, 
after a battle with Mr. Funkhouser, for the young 
VanNatta-bred bull calf Aaron, and B. C. Rliome 
of Texas took Beau Donald 2d at $1,200.* A few 
days later Mr. Armour bought Aaron from Col. 
Slaughter at $2,000 plus the choice of any bull calf 
in his own herd. 



*At this sale an episode unique in the annals of such events 
occurred when the bull calf Bonnie Prince, the property of Mrs. 
Kate Wilder Cross, widow of Charles S. Cross, was offered. Mrs. 
Cross had in so many ways endeared herself to the Hereford 
cattle breeding- fraternity that there w^as a hearty response to 
Col. Woods' felicitous appeal in her behalf on the introduction of 
the calf into the ring-. He was quickly run up to $900, at which 
point the widow of the late Charles N. Whitman announced that 
she would individually add $200 to the last bid for the calf no 
matter what it might be. This generous offer was accompanied 
by a shower of silver dollars tossed onto the tanbark under the 
leadership of Col. Slaughter, with the compliments of everybody, 
by way of expressing appreciation of what Mrs. Cross had done 
for Herefords. Mr. Marshall Field's representative took the calf 
at $910, and when to this was added the free-will offering of the 
company it was found that something ever $1,200 had been 
realized. Mrs. Cross subsequently established a herd on her o-wn 
account which she successfully conducted for some years. 



678 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

This remarkable event proved the foundation of 
the ''American Royal", that has ever since focused 
annually the attention of western cattle growers 
upon the Kansas City exhibition established under 
that name. This show really marks the beginning 
of the end of our story of the permanent establish- 
ment of Hereford cattle breeding in the United 
States. What remains to be told relates largely 
to the Herefordizing of the range, and to the latter- 
day achievements of the more successful breeders 
and exhibitors of pedigree "white faces" in the 
older states. We digress therefore at this point to 
discuss the introduction and dissemination of the 
blood on the open range, which after all was the 
great point towards which all this work with the 
pedigree "white faces" had really been tending. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
THE LONG TRAIL. 

Western ranching had its genesis in the cattle 
originally introduced into Mexico by the Spanish 
conquistadores. The admission of Texas and the 
Gadsden Purchase of 1854 brought within the bound- 
aries of the United States enormous tracts of arid 
and semi-arid lands susceptible of a great pastoral 
development, but insofar as the territory north of 
the present Mexican border is concerned, cattle- 
raising as a business (as distinguished from the 
mere maintenance of the herds as a source of food 
for their owner and his dependents) was virtually 
unknown among the rancheros of that period. 

After prolonged negotiations and a vigorous po- 
litical contest, Texas, formerly a portion of Mexico 
and later an independent republic, was admitted to 
the Union by joint resolution of Congress, approved 
by President Tyler on March 1, 1845. As a result 
of the Mexican War and by the Treaty of Guada- 
lupe Hidalgo, on Feb. 2, 1848, Mexico ceded the ter- 
ritory now covered by California and Nevada, also 
her claims to territory covered by Texas, Utah, the 
bulk of Arizona, New Mexico, and portions of Wyo- 
ming and Colorado. 

The tract of land known as the Gadsden Purchase, 
comprising territory lying within the present limits 

679 



680 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of the states of New Mexico and Arizona, was ob- 
tained from Mexico in 1854. It embraced 45,535 
square miles bounded on the north by the Gila River, 
on the east by the Rio Grande, and on the west by 
the Colorado. It had an extreme breadth north to 
south of 120 miles. The United States gave $10,- 
000,000 for it, and Mexico agreed to cede claims 
arising from Indian incursions. This land was pur- 
chased to settle a dispute and to secure a route for 
the Southern Pacific Railroad. The treaty was 
negotiated with Santa Anna by James Gadsden, a 
South Carolina soldier who was Minister to Mexico, 
in December, 1853, and was finally ratified on Aug. 
5, 1854. The sale caused the banishment of General 
Santa Anna from Mexico. 

Throughout the vast interior regions comprised 
within the lands acquired from Mexico but few at- 
tempts had been made to invade the deserts, plains 
and mountains that were the hunting grounds of 
the aborigines. Along the Mexican gulf and the 
Californian coasts hides had an established value, 
but even near tidewater there was no market of any 
consequence for fresh beef. 

The Spanish Longhorn. — Cattle of Spanish deri- 
vation have never been specially distinguished as 
flesh-makers. A pair of horns well adapted for pur- 
poses of offense or defense, as the case might be, 
has always been accounted an important character- 
istic, however, and the Mexican descendants of the 
animals brought across the Atlantic by the Span- 
iards neither gained in the one respect nor failed 
in the other in their new environment. Nevertheless, 



THE LONG TRAIL 681 

it is unfair to assume that the blood of the Spanish 
cattle was base. Good cattle did come out of Spain. 
Naturally of good size, some of them reached the 
heroic in stature. There are yet some native Span- 
ish cattle in Chihuahua and other Mexican states 
that are big, rugged, and of considerable merit as 
beef animals. Cattle of the longhorned type excel 
as animals of draft. They have amazing energy and 
endurance and what may be termed ''cow sense." 
When bands of mixed cattle were common on the 
plains and deserts of the west it was notable that 
the longhorns led the herds in their migrations. 
These cattle felt the "call of the wild," had weather 
wisdom and knew where to find grass and water. 
They were admirable mothers and their calves sired 
by "Durham" or Hereford bulls were excellent. 
Whatever may have been their faults, judged by the 
standards of latter-day beef-makers, it must be 
said that they not only served every purpose re- 
quired of them at the time, but constituted the best 
possible material for use by those who first sought 
to put cattle ranches on the map of our new posses- 
sions. 

The extension of United States authority over the 
Lone Star State, and the discovery of gold in Cali- 
fornia in 1849, resulted in an influx of population 
and capital that soon exerted a stimulating effect 
upon the production of cattle throughout southern 
and north central Texas, as well as beyond the 
Sierra Nevadas. The herds came to be valued for 
beef, as well as for tJieir liides, horns and hoofs. 
And thus the infant industry of cattle-growing in 



682 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

a commercial sense came into existence in the great 
southwest. 

Capt. Richard King. — While the military cam- 
paign that carried the American flag to the City 
of Mexico was in progress, a man who was destined 
to exercise a far-reaching influence upon the indus- 
trial development of our new frontier, was engaged 
in transporting freights and army stores along the 
west coast of the Grulf and up the navigable waters 
of the region that constituted the base of our opera- 
tions. This was Capt. Richard King. Upon the 
cessation of hostilities he decided to engage in busi- 
ness ashore, and to this end acquired title to a large 
tract of wild land lying near the coast between the 
mouths of the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers. He 
had conceived the idea that the production of horses 
and cattle on a large scale in this territory could 
soon be made a lucrative business, and the idea 
proved the foundation of not only his own but also 
of many other fortunes subsequently accumulated 
as a result of extensive land and grazing operations. 

Santa Gertrudis. — ^When Capt. King first rode 
across the plain from Brownsville to Corpus Christi 
it was one vast flowery meadow, lovely beyond com- 
pare. There were then no thickets of mezquite or 
other brush except the occasional bits along the 
streams. Later occupancy of the land and the keep- 
ing out of fires caused the appearance of great 
thickets of small trees and brush, largely of legum- 
inous nature, such as the mezquite tree. Within 
recent years the manager, Mr. Kleberg, has cleared 



THE LONG TRAIL 683 

again at much expense vast areas of these infring- 
ing thickets. 

Th« original tract comprised about twelve setios 
of 4,428 acres each. This aggregated more than 
50,000 acres, for the most part flat, treeless and with- 
out streams or springs of fresh water. There were 
grasses sufficient to support live stock, and the wa- 
ter problem was met in a primitive fashion by 
means of large tanks or reservoirs built along the 
few drains, impounding the storm- waters ; but as few 
points could be found where dams would be of any 
avail these watering places were few and far be- 
tween. Moreover, the matter of markets had yet 
to be worked out. 

Upon this property in 1854 the headquarters of 
the now world-famous Santa Gertrudis or King 
Eanch were established, and here we may fairly say 
our modern American ranching had its earliest im- 
portant exemplification. Cattle and horses of the 
common Mexican types were purchased and roamed 
at will over the vast arid plain that had the brack- 
ish waters of the Nueces for its northern boundary. 
In the meantime the proprietor made an outlet for 
his cattle by slaughtering them for their hides and 
tallow, which products he hauled to Corpus Christi, 
the nearest port on the coast. The offal was fed to 
hogs, which in turn were slaughtered and the lard 
shipped by sea. Of course, there was no market 
available at that period for fresh meats, except for 
local consumption, and that was chiefly by the own- 
er's household and his Mexican herders and retain- 



684 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ers. The liorse breeding soon became profitable, 
the surplus stock finding ready sale in the develop- 
ing interior of Texas. 

Packing Houses in Embryo. — The growing of 
cattle for their hides was so obviously a wasteful 
procedure that the attention of capitalists was drawn 
to the opportunity for profit afforded by such con- 
ditions. It is said that two plants were established 
near Rockport, Tex., at a place called Fulton, be- 
fore the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. One of 
these was occupied mainly in the canning of fish and 
green sea turtle, and to this it is stated that there 
was added a dessicating department for the making 
of beef extract. The other was called the Coleman 
Fulton Packing Co., an enterprise carried on bj'^ 
the Coleman Fulton Pasture Co., whose lands are 
now the property of Charles P. Taft. This com- 
pany packed beef in salt as pork is packed, their 
main business being the making or pickling of corned 
beef. Prominent New York City capitalists, includ- 
ing ''Commodore" Vanderbilt, are said to have had 
an interest in one or both of these concerns. 

Before these enterprises were started, however, 
Capt. King and some of his associates had at- 
tempted to preserve the meat of cattle for shipment 
by the infusion of l)rine into the veins of the cattle 
immediately after they were slaughtered. But on. 
account of the lack of transportation facilties and 
because of this undeveloped method of preserving 
the beef the effort was abandoned, and only the 
hides, tallow and offal were saved. 



THE LONG TRAIL 685 

Capt. Kennedy. — Promiiient among those who 
early recognized the possibilities of this new indus- 
try in that region was Gapt. King's old companion 
in the river and coast-wise steamboat service, Capt. 
Mifflin Kenned}", who had also decided to re- 
main upon the border after peace had been pro- 
claimed. Kennedy engaged first in commercial deal- 
ings with Old Mexico, but a few years later joined 
Capt. King in his ranching operations, as will be re- 
ferred to further on. 

First Efforts at Improvement. — While many at- 
tempts were made by King and Kennedy to improve 
the quality of their herds, but little headway was 
made in that direction for many years. In the first 
place there were no improved breeds nearer than 
the distant bluegrass pastures of Kentucky. Trans- 
portation was tedious and expensive, and worst of 
all it was soon discovered that northern cattle taken 
to those southern plains almost invariably suc- 
cumbed to a fever, the nature and origin of which 
was at that time not understood. The longhorn 
thrived and multiplied untouched by the mysterious 
plague, but the northern cattle either died or were 
left mere wrecks of their former selves. We now 
know that this was the work of the tick that infects 
the low-lands of the lower latitudes. It may be said 
in passing that it was upon this same great Santa 
Gertrudis Ranch in later years that the veterinarians 
of the Bureau of Animal Industry worked out many 
of the original proofs as to the real character of 
the so-called Texas or splenetic cattle fever. To 



686 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mr. Robert J. Kleberg, wbo succeeded to the man- 
agement of the great landed estate left by Capt. 
King at his death in April, 1885, is credited a large 
share in this important work of discovering and de- 
veloping the true nature of the disorder that cost 
American cattle growers so dearly before a correct 
diagnosis was established. 

Capt. King blazed the way for the great cattle 
business that afterwards brought such wealth to the 
Texas commonwealth, and which after the Civil War 
was extended northward and westward until the an- 
cient grazing grounds of the bison, leading up in all 
directions to the rugged walls of the Rocky Moun- 
tains, were at last converted into one enormous open 
cattle pasture. His business prospered, and he lived 
to see his landed estate expand to 500,000 acres. At 
the time of his decease this was enclosed by a good 
fence, but the huge holding was divided into but two 
pastures — one the upper or northern in Nueces 
county, known by the original name of Santa Ger- 
trudis, and the other known as the lower or south- 
ern range in Cameron county. This vast property 
in more recent years was more than doubled in area, 
so that Mrs. King, who was the sole devisee and 
legatee of the estate, ultimately became the mistress 
of a princely domain of more than one million acres, 
well stocked with highly-bred Herefords and Short- 
horns. But that involves the story of Robert Kle- 
berg's stewardship, to be referred to further on. 

Breeding^ Up the Native Stock. — Following the 
earlier successes of Capt. King and Capt. Kennedy 




Capt. Mifflin Kenedy 



J ■ 



688 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

and their contemporaries in the extreme south 
of Texas, cattle were introduced into the central and 
northern portions of the giant state. The founda- 
tion herds were longhorns, but in the late '50 's and 
the years just preceding the outbreak of the Civil 
War in 1861 the owners had made strenuous elTorts 
to improve the breed. Shorthorn bulls, mainly from 
Kentucky and Missouri, were freely bought, and 
while the death rate among them constituted a heavy 
tax upon their enterprising buyers, the persistency 
with which the policy was pursued at last mani- 
fested itself in a gradual betterment of the general 
cattle stock of that entire region; so much so that 
when the great expansion in cattle ranching set in 
after the close of the war the pastures lying to the 
north of San Antonio contained a leaven of '' Dur- 
ham" blood that ultimately leavened a large pro- 
portion of the entire lump, while on the lower ranges 
the so-called "coast" cattle were still of the dis- 
tinctly longhorned type. 

The Mormon Cattle. — The early Mormon emigra- 
tion to Utah was a considerable factor in fixing the 
cattle stocks of that region, for these people took 
with them good milking cows largely of Shorthorn 
blood. In the early '80 's Utah still had many good 
descendants of these valuable milch cows, and many 
a ranch was stocked with cattle bought in the Mor- 
mon settlements. These cattle, however, had the 
habit of milk-giving too strongly pronounced to make 
them ideal range stock, as the cows frequently lost 
parts of their udders from having more milk than 



THE LONG TRAIL 689 

their calves could take, and they were such persist- 
ent milkers that they were apt to go into winter too 
iliin in flesh. They formed, however, ideal mothers 
for the creation of grade Hereford herds. 

Pacific Coast Cattle. — On the western coast the 
situation was somewhat similar to that in Texas. 
In the extreme south the Spanish stock still pre- 
vailed in its natural state, but a steady stream of 
''settlers" from the middle west, seeking their El 
Dorado at the end of the Oregon and Santa Fe 
trails, had driven many a beast of Shorthorn or 
Devon extraction across the great divide, where un- 
der climatic conditions favorable to northern-grown 
animals they had planted the seeds of substantial 
improvement. Thus it came about that in both 
Oregon and California a start towards a higher 
standard had been made at a comparatively early 
period. In all these instances the cross of the Short- 
horn on the longhorn had increased the size, leveled 
the carcass and improved the fleshing capacity of 
the cattle. 

Shorthorn Crosses in Evidence. — The Hereford 
had no place in the original invasion of the range 
country. The first great pitched battles with the 
( elements were fought mainly by the Texas long- 
horns of both the improved and unimproved types. 
Had they all been of the straight "coast" type, it is 
possible that the earlier efforts, more especially in 
the north, might have met with fewer reverses. In 
those first fierce exposures to unaccustomed rigors 
the Shorthorns and their grades had to ])enr an im- 



690 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

portant part, for as already stated the blood had 
been introduced into north Texas before the first 
herds hit the northern trails. Moreover, by the time 
the forward movement got into full swing a consid- 
erable stream of Shorthorn blood was pouring into 
the great drive from herds that had been established 
in the south of Kansas, in the Indian Territory and 
the Cherokee strip. Such points as Harper, Medi- 
cine Lodge, Caldwell and Wichita were all on the 
confines of a great cow country that had recourse 
for bulls to the Missouri and Kentucky Shorthorn 
herds. Then, too, the westward drift from central 
Texas into New Mexico, Arizona, the Panhandle and 
Colorado included some cattle of an ''improved" 
Texan type. 

The Great Migration. — As late as the year 1860 
the mountains of Colorado still looked down east, 
west, north and south upon a grassy wilderness 
that practically knew only the hoofs of the buffalo 
and the antelope and their pursuers — the hunters 
and the hunted. Railway iron at length pierced the 
very heart of this great preserve, however, and the 
Union Pacific locomotives sounded the end of the 
old, the beginning of a new regime — the coming of 
the cattle. 

Crossing the Red River the great hegira to the 
north began in earnest along trails soon to become 
historic, only to fade away again after the lapse of 
many years into mere traditions of the past. The 
herds were headed largely towards El Reno, Camp 
Supply and Dodge City. From near Muskogee the 



'li 



THE LONG TRAIL 691 

famous Chisholm Trail followed the valley of the 
Arkansas as far as Wichita and thence on to Abi- 
lene. The pastures of the Territory, the Cherokee 
strip and southern Kansas, first felt the pressure 
from the south, but about the same time a drift set 
in from central Texas up the valley of the Pecos, in 
which direction trails soon wended their way out 
into New Mexico and beyond. 

Eastern Colorado and central and western Kansas 
and Nebraska, constituting a vast realm of free 
grass, were successfully pastured. The tide of im- 
migration was rolling steadily into the Rocky Moun- 
tain region across the plains from the mid-west 
states. The imaginations of the adventurous every- 
where were stirred by the stories of fortunes to be 
made in western cattle. Daring spirits flocked to 
the scene of the spectacular expansion, and plunged 
into the game regardless of their inexperience — 'Hhe 
butcher, the baker and candle-stick maker," all 
anxious to engage in this wonderful new business of 
cattle ranching. The big pastures and mountain 
meadows of Montana, Wyoming and Colorado were 
not long in filling up. Denver, the capital of cow- 
land, was the scene of feverish activities. Big deals 
capitalizing alluring propositions were easily han- 
dled. Goodnight was waking up the Panhandle, and 
Swan and his contemporaries were enthusing the 
north. All the way from Helena to San Antonio the 
ipot boiled furiously. 

I Farther and farther into the interior of this in- 
lland empire, the cowmen pushed their way, and the 



692 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

railway and tlie stagecoach soon sought gateways 
into the nation's virgin pastoral possessions. Staid 
Scotch capitalists, scions of the British aristocracy, 
and "tenderfeet" of nearly every name and nation 
joined in the chase — the race to ])ut cattle into every 
nook and corner of the great l)ig Brobdingnagian 
West, regardless of climatic conditions or possible 
consequences. 

In the midst of it all the new southwest was not 
forgotten. The advantages of the lower latitudes 
as a breeding ground were many and obvious. All 
were ready to listen to new schemes for further de- 
velopment in any direction. Out on the pastures of 
New Mexico and Arizona soon the cattle found a 
footing. Far-off Nevada escaped not the hoofs of 
the on-coming herds, and there was always Cali- 
fornia. The creatures of a "wild" that was fairly 
continental in its vast expanse, stupendous in its dis- 
tances, its heights, its depths and possibilities, gave 
way in all directions before the grand army of the 
occupation. The victory was only gained, however, 
at heavy cost. The gods were at first propitious. 
Fortune smiled alike, for a time at least, upon the 
just and the unjust, but the inevitable happened. 
The bubble of indefinite and unwarranted expansion 
and improvidence burst. But experience teaches. 
Better methods gradually supervened, and in the 
meantime the hardy Hereford had been introduced 
and cattle ranching took on a more settled character. 



CHAPTER XVII. 
FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE. 

It is now impossible either to fix definitely the 
date when the Herefords made their first appear- 
ance upon the western range or to locate accurately 
the place where the earliest experiments in pas- 
tures limited only by the horizon were really staged. 
However, it may be stated with reasonable certainty 
that the time was somewhere near 1870, and the 
place Colorado. It can also be safely recorded that 
the initial buying was cautiously approached by 
men who had no assurance whatever that the ven- 
ture would prove successful. But it did. Had it 
not, this volume might never have been published. 

In a letter written by Mr. T. L. Miller in 1877 the 
statement is made that "it is now ten or twelve 
years since the Herefords were first taken to the 
plains," but he gives no names or dates. This would 
place the period of their introduction at from 1867 
to 1869. It is of course easily possible that some of 
the old Stone, the Ohio or early eastern blood had 
found its way west at that time. In fact we should 
think this extremely probable. The state of Colo- 
rado, being in the direct line of cornbelt emigration, 
would naturally be one of the first to receive the 
blood of improved cattle of eastern origin. The 
Texans of that day bought almost exclusively from 
Kentucky, and as that state, at that period, had no 



694 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Herefords of wliich there is trace it is not difficult 
to realize that Colorado would logically beat Texas 
to the ''white faces," and such was undoubtedly 
the case. Mr. Miller himself sold three Hereford 
bulls in 1873 to George Zweck of Longmont, Colo. — 
a yearling, a two-year-old and a three-year-old 
afterwards registered as Plato 590. In 1874 he 
shipped five bulls to Denver, which were sold to 
Colorado ranchmen. The first purebred Herefords 
to go to Texas, so far as we can learn, were a bull 
(Chief) and a heifer by Miller's old Success, sold 
by William Powell, then of Beecher, 111., in the spring 
of 1876 to J. F. Brady of Houston. It is said that 
about this same date a Mr. Hooker took Herefords 
from Beecher into southern Arizona. 

Making Good. — On being asked, ''Why are the 
Herefords the best cattle for the plains'?" Mr. 
Miller answered: "Because they are the most 
hardy; they are the best grazers; they mature 
earlier; they are nearer the ground; they are more 
compact; they have more hair; they have thicker 
and softer hides ; although shorter on the leg, they 
are better travelers, and as grazers they become 
higher-fleshed and riper steers; they carry their 
flesh to market with less shrinkage ; they are heavier- 
topped steers, and the best animal in the family of 
Herefords is the steer." 

The blood was liked on the Colorado range from 
the very first, and in 1876 ranchmen who had al- 
ready tested it there reported as follows : 

Judge Downing, of Denver, sold six Hereford 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 695 

grade steers in June, that were four years old in 
the spring, weighing 1,800 pounds each, and twelve 
others and three heifers, weighing a fraction under 
1,500 pounds each. None of them had been fed at 
all, having made their weights on grass alone, ex- 
cept they may have been fed hay at times during 
storms. 

Mr. Church, who lived near Denver, had turned 
off thirty to forty grade Hereford steers for several 
years, at three years old, averaging about 1,250 
pounds each, that had never been fed anything ex- 
cept what they themselves had taken from the range ; 
and one lot of these steers was sold in Buffalo at 7 
cents a pound. 

Judge P. P. Wilcox, of Denver, said that his cattle 
ran with a herd in which there was a grade Here- 
ford bull, and from him he had several white-faced 
calves, and that these white-faced calves were as 
good at two years old as his others at three. 

Another prominent stockman in southern Colo- 
rado testified: ''The Hereford cross on my native 
cattle has been very satisfactory. They stand the 
winter well, take on flesh rapidly, and are really the 
best cattle for these ranges that I have ever had any- 
thing to do with." 

Commenting upon these and similar reports and 
launching a challenge against Shorthorn breeders, 
Mr. Miller with prophetic vision said : 

* ' There is now open to the world, and brought into 
the world, a stock country, the like of which was 
never before known. It changes or will change the 
whole system of breeding, and the question must 
and will be solved as to the breed of cattle best fitted 
for it." 

Speaking of difficulties tending to restrict enter- 



696 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

prise in the placing of good bulls on the open range, 
Mr. Miller added : 

"One of the great drawbacks to a more rapid 
trade has been the difficulty of holding the bulls for 
use in the owners' herds. The practice being to run 
their herds on a common range, the cattle of several 
owners intermingle. Jones, buying thoroughbred 
bulls, and his herd and Smith's running together. 
Smith gets the use of Jones' bulls. Very few of the 
cattlemen have fenced at all. Very few have thought 
they could herd their cattle, although this is entirely 
practicable. The introduction of barl)ed wire has 
made fencing practicable, and many are finding that 
herding is practicable. 

"The Messrs. Thatcher Bros. & Co. and the 
Messrs. Swan both intend to select cows upon which 
to use these l)ulls, and herd them during the coupling 
season, and then place their bulls, until the coupling 
season returns, in pasture prepared for them. 

"The late Mr. Iliif had enclosed some ten or 
twelve pastures, containing from 1,000 to 3,000 acres 
in each, for use of cows during coupling season, and 
out of coupling seasons for the bulls. There are 
many who have adopted this practice, and the num- 
ber is increasing. The difficulty in introducing fine 
stock has been, first, the cost, and secondly, the 
difficulty of getting the use of them." 

Whereas Mr. Miller had in the first instance been 
obliged to "force" the western market by shipping 
small consignments at large expense, and offering 
them for sale on their arrival in Colorado, the re- 
turns soon began to come in so favorably from all 
quarters that sales were easily made and at ad- 
vancing figures. Beecher continued for several 
years to be the main source of supply. In 1878 Mr. 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 697 

Miller sold forty bulls to tlie Swans in Wyoming, 
and in 1878 Thomas Clark sold twenty young bulls 
to J. E. Temple, Chico Springs, N. M. The results of 
the use of the blood wherever tried proved so satis- 
factory that numerous inquiries came into the mar- 
ket for white-faced bulls. Unfortunately not all of 
those secured were purebred, and many of the 
grades had little to recommend them except their 
white faces. Nevertheless, it was soon made clear 
that the breed was destined to materially reduce the 
risks of cattle-raising on the open ranges. 

Prominent among those who became identified 
with the Hereford cause in the new west at an early 
date, in addition to those already mentioned, were 
the Culvers of Colorado, Reynolds Bros., John W. 
Prowers, J. W. Iliff, John H. Hitson, Thatcher 
Bros., G. F. Lord, Ikard Bros., T. W. Owen, B. C. 
Rhome, G. H. Curtis, Hall Bros., Geddes & Bryan, 
R. S. Van Tassel, J. A. Baker, Jones Bros., Joseph 
Scott, Lee & Reynolds, W. E. Campbell, Towers & 
Gudgell and Dickey Bros. The earliest owners of 
pedigree Herefords in Kansas, so far as is shown 
by the first volume of the iVmerican herd book, were 
C. W. Kimball of AVichita, W. M. Morgan and J. M. 
Winter of Irving, F. H. Jackson of Maple Hill, T. 
H. Cavanaugh of Salina and H. Woodward of Blue 
Rapids. 

First Hereford Sale in the West.— On May 23, 

1879, Charles Gudgell sold twenty-five young Here- 
ford bulls at auction at the Kansas City Stock 
Yards. It was the day after one of the big Hamilton 



698 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Shorthorn sales. This was the first auction sale of 
Herefords held at Kansas City, and the first west 
of the Mississippi River. Nine of these bulls were 
sold to Towers & Gudgell, a range outfit in which 
Mr. Gudgell was interested, for use on their herd 
of the OX brand on the Cimmaron River in what 
was then known as "No Man's Land," now Beaver 
Co., Okla. At the same auction sale at Kansas City 
one bull was bought by Col. Driskill, at that time 
one of the leading cattle growers of Texas, who was 
also buying Shorthorns at the Hamilton sale. 

About this same date Charles Gudgell sold the bull 
Picture 1403 to Jones Bros., Las Animas, Colo., for 
$1,000. This bull had been bought from F. W. Stone, 
Guelpli, Canada. About the same time J. W. 
Prowers took some Herefords to his ranch near Las 
Animas. 

The Hawes and Campbell Herds. — Major W. E. 
Campbell of Caldwell, Kans., and J. S. Hawes of 
Colony, Kans., established large and excellent herds 
of purebred Herefords, which were drawn upon 
heavily, not only by those founding new purebred 
herds in the Missouri River region, but also by 
ranchmen further west. Mr. Hawes had been 
breeding Herefords for a number of years at South 
Vassalboro, Me., and in the fall of 1881 moved his 
entire herd of about 100 head to his Kansas farm, 
comprising at that time some 1,200 acres. During 
the height of the great demand for the "white faces" 
Mr. Hawes ran his herd up to more than 300 head 
of well bred pedigree cattle. It was noted for some 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 699 

years as the home of the show bulls Fortune and Sir 
Evelyn. During the years 1883 and 1884 Mr. Hawes 
sold $50,000 worth of purebred Herefords. 

Major Campbell had considerable interests on the 
range, and engaged with great enthusiasm in the 
breeding and handling of pedigree Herefords, buy- 
ing liberally from the best herds further east and 
exhibiting at the Kansas fairs. One of his best 
known bulls was The Equinox 2758. 

Hereford Endurance Demonstrated. — The winter 
of 1880-81 was of exceptional severity and losses on 
the range were heavy. This was particularly true 
of the ''pilgrims," as the trail herds recently from 
the south and turned out on the northern ranges 
were commonly called. The testimony that followed 
was very largely to the effect that the mortality 
among the Shorthorns had been greatly in excess of 
that in the case of the Herefords ; and the fact that 
the ''white faces" had passed through this ordeal 
so successfully now made them hot favorites 
throughout all parts of the range country. 

Writing in June, 1881, Major Campbell said: 

"The question is not which is the best beast, the 
Shorthorn, the Hereford or the Texas bull, but 
which is the best rustler and most profital)le range 
animal. It does not matter to us what breed of cattle 
has been most successful in the feedyard or show- 
yard, for we are interested in neither. What we 
want to know is which breed is best adapted for 
range purposes and range purposes only, and all 
this talk about valuable milking qualities amounts 
to nothing with ranchmen. In fact, they do not want 
heavy milkers, but cattle that will give enough milk 



700 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

to support their calves and convert the remainder 
of the feed into first-class beef. 

"As you are aware, I have been breeding Short- 
horns for years, and I still admire them very much, 
and have about sixty bulls in use at one of my 
ranches. At another I am using nothing but pure- 
bred Hereford bulls. Experience has proved them 
to be the hardiest and best range cattle I have ever 
known; and I do not hesitate to say that hereafter 
I will never buy another Shorthorn bull for range 
purposes. I have a small herd of thoroughbred and 
quite a number of high-grade Hereford cows that 
were out all winter without feed, and today they are 
in fine condition, most of them being ready for the 
Initcher's block. I also had quite a number of 
thoroughbred and high-grade Shorthorn cows that 
fared the same. Some of them died, and none of 
them are fat yet. I am now breeding them to Here- 
ford bulls, against the advice of my Shorthorn 
friends. That I may be fully understood I will say 
that I intend reserving all my thoroughbred and 
high-grade Hereford bulls for my own use. My 
Shorthorns have done me good, and I do not intend 
to knock them in the head, as Mr. Miller might ad- 
vise, but I intend putting white heads on them as 
fast as I can." 

This undoubtedly reflected with accuracy the 
opinion of a large number of those who were at that 
date financially interested in range operations. 

It is manifestly impracticable to detail the opera- 
tions of all those who in the years following this 
successful test of Hereford endurance, took part in 
their introduction into the various parts of the range 
country. The territory covered was too vast and the 
operations too general to admit of more than pass- 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 701 

ing references to a few of tlie firms, individuals and 
corporations that ligured most conspicuously in the 
movement that placed the "white faces" firmly 
upon the western map. 

On the Northern Range. — As late as the early 
'80 's the "white faces" were not much in evidence 
in the northwest. Around Cheyenne there was con- 
siderable of the blood, but apart from that vicinity 
probably not 5 per cent of the northern herds were 
at that date crossed by flereford bulls. The great 
bulk of the cattle in Montana and Wyoming had 
either come direct from the Pacific Coast or from 
Texas. Numbers of these had been and were still 
l)eing crossed with Shorthorn bulls. 

A. H. Swan was one of the first to introduce the 
Hereford blood upon the Wyoming range. His firm. 
Swan Bros., paid Mr. Miller $10,000 for forty head 
of bulls in the spring of 1878. A second lot of fifty 
head followed not many months later. They had 
previously had some of the blood from Culver and 
Mahony of Colorado and Wyoming. Mr. Swan's 
was a strong personality, and he had a big following ; 
his example in adopting the Hereford was quickly 
followed throughout all that vast country stretch- 
ing away from the Union Pacific Railway to the 
Canadian ])order. 

A meteoric record, that of Alex. Swan. His quick 
rise to apparent affluence when fortune smiled upon 
his ventures on the open range, his promotion of 
the big Scotch company that still bears his name 
after years of vicissitudes, his plunging in lands 



702 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE j 

and sheep and cattle, his alhance with George 
Morgan, the "advance agent" of the English Here- 
ford propaganda, his staggering reverses and final 
fall — all told would make a tale only too typical of 
the smiling, frowning, fascinating west.* 

*Mr. A. H. Swan had gone to Cheyenne from Indianola, la., 
some time around 1876. He had all the instincts of a promotor — 
and in his time engaged in many different things, and succeeded 
In inducing others to join with him in his undertakings. 

He started in business as a grocer at Indianola shortly after 
the Civil War, but soon developed a genius for speculation. One 
of his first schemes in Indianola was in connection with the build- 
ing of a railroad to Des Moines — now a part of the Rock Island 
system. Afterwards he became a speculator in Warren county 
lands. After going to Wyoming to embark in the then new busi- 
ness of cattle ranching he utilized some 2,500 acres as a farm 
for the purpose of breeding bulls for shipment to the western 
range. When John Gosling took hold of this farm it was a cattle- 
feeding plant, but it was soon afterwards changed into a breed- 
ing establishment with a cow herd of some 600 head. 

In 1881, Mr. David Kauffman took an interest in this business 
and was made manager of this farm. ISIr. Gosling was trans- 
ferred to South Omaha and placed in charge of cattle-feeding at 
the distillery sheds, where in the course of three years he handled 
over 6,000 head. 

Kauffman retired in 1884, and the Bosler Bros., of Pennsyl- 
vania, who had become interested with Swan in his range opera- 
tions, took an interest in the Indianola farm. Mr. Gosling there- 
upon returned to this farm, when the grade herd was reduced 
in numbers and additional purebred Herefords were bought from 
Culbertson's and other good herds. 

A correspondent of "The Breeder's Gazette," writing of Swan 
and his Indianola career, says: 

"During the years of his prosperity Mr. Swan was connected 
with numerous enterprises in and about Indianola. He had in- 
terests in farms, a coal mine, brick yard, flouring mill, canning 
factory and a bank or two. He had close business connections 
with several Engish capitalists and live stock men, and was fond 
of bringing them to North Farm to see the cattle. The story was 
recently told me by an old resident that, when it was known 
that Swan was coming to town, the word would be passed from 
one to another, 'Eck's a comin', Eck's a comin' 'smorning', and a 
spirit of suppressed excitement pervaded the little town as if 
awaiting a visit from the President of the United States. His 
partners, various employes and other retainers would repair to 
the railway station an hour before train-time to discuss what 
'Eck' would do on 'this trip' with regard to his numerous local 
activities. When the train would at last arrive Swan would 
come off with his following of Englishmen and eastern capitalists 
and lead the way to the hotel like a lord, passing out greetings 
and shaking hands on all sides. 

"But the end came, when his ambition and self-confidence 
overran his judgment with the inevitable result. That was early 
in 1887. North Farm went to the Boslers, who held it for a 
number of years, selling it in parcels, and finally selling the tract 
containing the main improvements to Mr. Jacob Piffer, in the 
hands of whose estate it still lies. Mr. Swan had acquired the 
farm from an early settler and financier, who had combined its 
component parts into one body of land. This was D. H. Van Pelt, 
grandfather of Prof. H. G. Van Pelt, Iowa's dairy expert." 




W^D. Reyno/ds 



Aiex ^owie 



704 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

The Swan Land and Cattle Co. — The Swan Land 
& Cattle Co. was first talked of in the sunniier of 
1882, and was formally organized in Edinburgh, 
Scotland, in the spring- of 1883. Mr. A. H. Swan, 
accompanied by Mr. John Donnelly, now of the 
Sioux City Stock Yards, went over and floated the 
company. Mr. Colin J. Mackenzie, of Portmore, was 
elected chairman and had under him a strong board 
of directors. Mr. Finlay Dun was made secretary. 
The basis of the company was the Swan & Frank 
Co. holdings. Various other properties were ac- 
quired, notably those of H. B. Kelly and E. "W. 
Whitcomb. The headquarters were established at 
Chugwater, Wyo., and there they have remained 
ever since. The authorized capital of the company 
was $4,500,000, but only about $3,250,000 was actually 
subscribed and put in use. The capital today is 
$1,250,000, thus showing a loss of $2,000,000. The 
assets, however, are more valuable than the present 
capital. 

Swan was a ''plunger" always, and rising upon 
what seemed to outsiders a wave oi success he em- 
barked in many enterprises, controlling the Two 
Bar, Double 0, Horse Creek, Kingman and other 
properties, and borrowing money wherever he could. 
At the inception of the company Swan had as his 
assistant in the management Zack Thomasson, a 
very able man, but he left to join the Ogallala Land 
& Cattle Co. in Nebraska. Mr. Thomasson remained 
only a short time with that outfit, sold out, and in- 
vested his money in real estate. 



706 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

The seasons of 1883 and 1884 were prosperous 
ones on the range, and this company, as well as 
other properties controlled by Swan, showed excel- 
lent profits, but a decline of prices came in 1885 and 
1886. The summer of 1886 was a dry one. The 
ranges were overloaded, cattle were thin, and values 
declined severely. Prices for the Swan native steers 
in these early years ranged as follows : 1884, $47.06 ; 
1885, $40.24; 1886, $30.15; 1887, $29.43; 1888, $35.24. 
The great bulk of these were strong in the Hereford 
blood, many of them being first crosses on Oregon 
cows. 

The Wyoming Hereford Co. — This organization 
had no connection with the Swan company proper, 
except that some shareholders held stock in each. 
The ranch upon which the purebred Herefords were 
carried comprised some 30,000 acres on Crow Creek, 
just east of Cheyenne. George Morgan was engaged 
as the active manager and made a number of im- 
portations direct from Herefordshire, as has been 
referred to in a previous chapter. One of his early 
operations was the purchase of the entire herd of 
Mr. J. H. Yeomans of Stretton Court, comprising 
200 head which were shipped from Liverpool on 
April 16, 1883. Another large importation was 
made in 1884, including 186 bulls bred in England. 
The herd numbered over 500 head at one time, in- 
cluding more than 300 breeding cows and a sensa- 
tional array of stock bulls, among which were Eu- 
dolph by The Grove 3d, Lord Wilton 2d, Victor by 
Winter de Cote, and Sir Thomas of G. S. Burleigh's 
breeding. 



FIRST IIEREPORDS ON THE RANGE 707 

From this herd hirge numbers of purebred bulls 
went out to spread the fame of the "white faces" 
throughout the northern range. All the more 
enterprising breeders of Montana and Wyoming had 
recourse to it, and while it made no money for its 
owners it placed within the reach of the cattlemen 
of the north blood that left its mark for many a 
year. Under different ownership the herd is still 
maintained. 

First Herefords in the Panhandle. — It seems to 
be generally allowed that the credit for the revo- 
lutionizing of the blood of the Texas Panhandle 
herds along Hereford lines is largely due to Charles 
Goodnight, whose career as a scout and pioneer on 
the old frontier would supply material enough for 
a stirring volume on the development of the great 
southwest. He embraced cattle-breeding as a pro- 
fession in 1856 in Palo Pinto Co., Tex., beginning 
with 430 head and handling them on shares until the 
Civil War. He early set about to improve them; 
the only way open at that time was through selec- 
tion, but by this primitive means he succeeded in 
producing what was doubtless one of the best herds 
in Texas at that time. When the war came on he 
joined the Texas rangers, and served against the 
Comanches and Kiowas. 

In 1886 he laid off the "Goodnight Trail," by 
way of the Pecos River through Colorado to Chey- 
enne, Wyo. He settled in 1870 near Pueblo, Colo. 
From here he removed to the Panhandle in the fall 
of 1876, establishing in what is known as the Palo 
Duro Canyon of the Red River the JA Ranch, with 



708 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

1,600 graded Colorado cattle and seventy-five head 
of high-grade Shorthorns as the foundation herd. 
The latter, known as the JJ herd, were set aside as 
a breeding plant, and kept entirely distinct from 
the other herd were bred to purebred Shorthorn 
bulls. Mr. Goodnight 's headquarters were in Arm- 
strong county, but the range covered portions of 
Donley, Hall, Briscoe, Swisher an'd Eandall coun- 
ties. 

Adair & Goodnight. — In 1877 John Adair, an 
Irishman of considerable wealth, while traveling in 
the United States met Charles Goodnight in Den- 
ver. The latter was at that date probably as fa- 
miliar with the southwest as any white man then 
living, and he persuaded Adair to join him in the 
Palo Duro Canyon ranch proposition. A partner- 
ship was formed by the two men, in which Adair 
held a two-thirds interest and Goodnight the re- 
maining one-third. 

The country at that time was without railroads, 
settlers or cattle, and teemed with buffalo. The 
Comanches, who inhabited this country, had been 
rather thoroughly subdued the year before by the 
McKenzie expedition and removed to the reserva- 
tion in Oklahoma, at that time Indian Territoiy. 
The partners, accompanied by Mrs. Adair, who was 
the eldest daughter of Major General James S. 
Wadsworth of Geneseo, N. Y., made their trips to 
and from the new ranch for hundreds of miles 
across country on horseback and with wagons, and 
on at least one occasion were escorted by a troop 




COL. CHARLES GOODNIGHT. 



k 



710 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of United States cavalry. Their efforts for the first 
few years were expended in acquiring the necessary 
land, herding back the buffalo and bringing in cattle 
with which to stock the new rancli. The lands were 
largely acquired from the firm of Gunther & Munson, 
who had ''located" a large territory under the then 
very liberal land laws of the state of Texas. The 
greater part of the cattle, as above stated, were 
originally brought from Colorado and the north 
and were grade Shorthorns. 

From the beginning the active management of the 
property was in Mr. Goodnight 's hands, and the 
new firm soon began to buy cattle in large numbers. 
Out of the herds purchased Mr. Goodnight selected 
the best for breeding purposes, thereby starting 
what was known as the JJ herd. These he bred first 
to purebred Shorthorn, or "Durham" bulls, as he 
still prefers to call them, and as far as possible 
raised therefrom the bulls for the main range or 
o^A herd. 

0. H. Nelson Brings in Herefords. — In the spring 
of 1883 Mr. 0. H. Nelson, representing the firm of 
Finch, Lord & Nelson, cattle dealers of Burlingame, 
Kans., bought in Kansas, Iowa and Missouri be- \ 
tween 500 and 600 head of as good young breeding 
cows as could be secured witliout buying registered 
animals. He brought them into the Panhandle of 
Texas, locating them on a part of the Adair & Good- 
night range south of Red River on Tule Creek. 
This was in Swisher county, near where the thrifty 
town of Tulia is now located. At that date this 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 711 

country was of course still unfenced and practically 
unoccupied. This herd consisted mostly of Short- 
horns, but a few were one-half and three-fourths 
blood Herefords. The bulls, some twenty in num- 
ber, were all good registered Herefords that had 
cost from $300 to $600 per head. Mr. Nelson 
reached the range with this herd about June 1, 1883, 
having been on the trail from Dodge City for six 
weeks. About August 15 of this same year he sold 
the cows to Mr. Goodnight for $75 per head, count- 
ing calves; that is, each cow and calf brought $150, 
the dry cows and heifers $75, and the bulls were 
turned over at $250 per head. 

This good lot of cattle was turned in with the JJ 
herd, and the Shorthorn bulls were all taken out 
and replaced by registered Herefords. These were 
the first Herefords brought into the Panhandle, ex- 
cepting a few that Nelson had taken down in the 
spring of 1882. 

The Price Importation. — In the summer of 1883 
Finch, Lord & Nelson arranged with J. R. Price &, 
Son of Williamsville, 111., to make a joint importa- 
tion of Herefords from England, and sent **Ned" 
Price over to locate them and see what they would 
cost. Mr. Nelson was to have joined him later, but 
owing to press of business did not go, so that Price 
did the buying and importing. This lot numbered 
about eighty bulls and twenty cows. Out of this 
importation there were sold to Adair & Goodnight 
and delivered at "Wichita Falls, Tex., in March, 
1884, forty bulls at $400 per head. Finch, Lord & 



712 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Nelson took a part of the imported cows as well as 
some of the bulls to their herd at Burliiigame, 
Kans. Speaking of this purchase Mr. Goodnight in 
a recent letter to the author says: ''Taking them 
as a whole, they were the best lot of imported cattle 
I have ever seen." 

Mrs. Adair Acquires the Property. — Shortly after 
this extensive introduction of Hereford blood Mr. 
Adair died at St. Louis, Mo., in 1885, while on his 
way out to the ranch from Ireland, and his large 
interest passed to his wife, Mrs. Cornelia Adair. 
Two years later the partnership was dissolved, Mr. 
Goodnight receiving for his interest practically one- 
third of the land and cattle. The remaining two- 
thirds has been known ever since as the JA Ranch 
and is still owned by Mrs. Adair, who though re- 
siding in London, England, makes frequent trips 
to the property in the Panhandle. At the time of 
Mr. Adair's death the partners owned or controlled 
for grazing purposes upwards of 1,000,000 acres, 
and their herd of cattle numbered more than 40,000. 

Since this change of blood from Shorthorn to 
Hereford about 1883 purebred "white faces" have 
been used continuously on the main or JA herd. 
Coincident with this change the partners began 
building up the special JJ herd, resting largely upon 
the base of the well bred cows bought from Finch, 
Lord & Nelson. This herd has been crossed ex- 
clusively by registered Hereford bulls ever since, 
and has been the main source of supply for bulls 
for service on the JA's. To avoid too close breed- 




MES. C. ADAIR. 



714 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

ing additional bulls are from time to time intro- 
duced from good herds in various states. 

Mr. Goodnight brought his share of the JJ's on 
dissolution to his present home in Armstrong coun- 
ty, branding them + JJ. He bred them up to a high 
standard, selling them in 1896 to C. C. Slaughter.* 

Richard Walsh, Manager. — Mr. John Farrington 
managed the Palo Duro property from 1887 to 1890. 
Mr. Arthur J. Tisdall was manager for one year, 
1891. He was succeeded by Mr. Richard Walsh, 
who for eighteen years conducted the business of 
the ranch with the greatest success and became one 
of the best known and best liked cattlemen in the 
southwest. He resigned his position in 1910, spent 
a year in southern Brazil in company with Mr. 
Murdo Mackenzie, the former Matador manager, 
and is now managing an immense newly established 
ranch in Ehodesia, owned and controlled by the 
British South Africa Chartered Co. The Palo Duro 
management at present is in the hands of J. W. 
Wadsworth, Jr., who has held the position for the 
last four years. The property now comprises 
500,000 acres, completely fenced and cross-fenced 
into convenient pastures. From 1892 to 1910 emi- 
nently successful efforts were made by Mr. Walsh 
to concentrate the property in a solid block. This 
was accomplished slowly and surely by exchanging 
lands on the perimeter for those state school lands 



♦Charles Goodnight at this date (1914) is still living and is 
breeding buffalo and a cross between the bison and the cow which 
he calls "cattalo". He is successfully farming some 1,200 acres 
of his ranch, and as always doing all in his power for the up- 
building of the country he knows and loves so well. 



I 




THE PALODURO RANCH HOUSE. 



I 




Copyright photo by Edward E. Smltb 

VIEW ON THE SPUR RANCH, AFTERWARDS TAKEN OVER BY THE 

SWENSONS. 



716 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

within the range which had been entered upon by- 
settlers in great number during the '90 's. This diffi- 
cult and at times delicate task, extending over many 
years, was accomplished by Mr. Walsh without in- 
curring ill feeling or serious controversy of any kind, 
which speaks volumes for his fairness and diplo- 
macy. The solidification is complete, and today 
there are no ''strays" inside the JA fence. 

In recent years particular efforts have been put 
forth in the way of permanent improvements, par- 
ticularly as to watering facilities. This work is now 
nearly complete. The JA herd continues to main- 
tain the high standard set in 1901 when its carload 
lot of steers was awarded the championship at the 
Chicago Fat Stock Show. And in 1904 when its 
steers were awarded the grand championship at 
the St. Louis exposition the Hereford had come into 
his own on this property. There he thrives, there 
the management believes that he surpasses all other 
breeds, and there he will doubtless remain. 

Big Demand from Texas. — Finch, Lord & Nelson 
did a big trade in bulls for the Panhandle herds dur- 
ing the years 1881 to 1888 inclusive, sending into 
that country during that period no less than 10,000 
head. Li 1881 the bulls were all Shorthorns, and so 
they were mostly in 1882, but from that year the 
proportion of Herefords increased rapidly. Most 
of these at first were one-half- and three-fourth- 
bloods, but from 1883 on the firm each year bought 
registered bulls for their own use and for Adair & 
Goodnight as well as a few other customers. 




B. C. Rhome W. S. IKard 



If 



718 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

In the spring of 1884 Nelson bought about 500 
head of the best unregistered cows available in Kan- 
sas and Missouri. In this purchase over one-half 
were grade Herefords, the others being Shorthorns. 
This herd was put on a ranch in Hall Co., Tex., 
and established the subsequently well known "Bar 
Ninety-Six" brand. In a few years this became a 
very fine high-grade herd of "white faces," and for 
several years afterwards whenever a "white-faced 
critter" was seen in that region one did not have 
to look at the brand to determine ownership, as 
there were no others in the country.* 

Bulls destined for the Texas trade of this period 
were commonly assembled at Dodge City, Kans., 
and then driven down the trail. The distribution 
commenced on the Canadian River, then at Mobee- 
tie, then at Clarendon, and thence as far south as 
Colorado City — about 600 miles from Dodge City. 
Finch, Lord & Nelson sold to several large ranches 
as many as 500 head a year each for several years 
in succession. These included Adair & Goodnight, 
the Matador Land & Cattle Co., and the Espuula 
Land & Cattle Co. They also had many customers 
taking a smaller number, including W. H. Cres- 
well, the Clarendon Land & Investment Co., which 
owned the "Quarter Circle Heart" ranch, Nick 
Eaton of the U— U, Day & Maddox of the YJ, Lee 
& Reynolds, Lee & Scott, the Hansford Land & Cat- 
tle Co., Coleman & Co., Robert Moody, and others. 

*Mr. Nelson withdrew from the Burling-ame firm some years 
ago, and is now breeding- Herefords on his ranch near Romero, 
in Hartley Co.. Tex. He handles many bulls, bred in the cornbelt 
states, as well as those bred in the Panhandle of Texas. 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 719 

The Prairie Cattle Co. — This corporation began 
operations by buying in 1880 and 1881 the herds on 
three different ranges, with considerable bodies of 
watered lands in each case. One of the first pur- 
chases was that known as the JJ herd from the 
Jones Bros. This herd ranged in southeastern Col- 
orado, from the Arkansas River down to the neutral 
strip, now in Oklahoma, and should not be confused 
with the JJ herd of Adair-Goodnight origin. The 
herd known as the Crosselle was purchased from 
Hall Bros., whose cattle ranged from the top of the 
Dry Cimarron down as far south as the Canadian 
River. The herd known as the LIT, purchased from 
Littlefield, ranged in the northwest corner of the 
Panhandle of Texas, with headquarters at Tascosa 
on the Canadian River. At that time the country 
was unfenced, and while these cattle were run in 
separate divisions during some winters they drifted 
so far as to occasionally overlap one another. But 
they were always brought back to their respective 
ranges in the spring. 

When the Joneses and the Halls started their 
herds they had unlimited range with abundance of 
grass. The buffalo were about gone and the cattlemen 
were just beginning- to realize what a splendid thing 
it was to have unlimited free grass and water. The 
range was lightly stocked, the cattle were not dis- 
turbed, and the result was that they did well and 
their owners prospered. It has been claimed that 
when the Halls originally went to the Crosselle, a 
herd of 1,500 head was turned loose in the fall of the 



720 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

year at the head of the Dry Cimarron in Colfax 
Co., N. M., and in the spring every one of these cat- 
tle was found in good condition within 15 miles from 
the spot where they were turned loose. This seems 
an almost incredible statement, and yet even if ap- 
proximately true demonstrates what a splendid cat- 
tle country that region was at that date, in respect 
to feed, shelter and water. Cattle on the open ranges 
of course drifted great distances in time of storms 
when there was lack of natural shelter. 

These herds were all started with Texas cows 
driven up from southern and central Texas. The 
Jones brothers were probably among the first in 
their country in the early '70 's to Improve their 
herds by turning loose pedigree Shorthorn bulls. 
The Halls a little later did the same. Shortly after- 
wards the Herefords began to attract attention. 
But good Herefords were difficult to procure before 
1880 and commanded high prices, the result being 
that thousands of grade Hereford bulls were turned 
on the range, many of them of inferior quality. 
There was a keen demand from all parts of the range 
between 1878 and 1883 for white-faced bulls, and as 
late as 1884 a good Shorthorn bull without pedi' 
gree sold for $50 as a yearling, 'while a white-faced 
yearling would bring $75 and often prove a very in- 
ferior animal at that. 

The Halls had purchased a few Herefords, but 
very few before they turned over their property. 
Probably the first large bunch of Herefords bought 
for this herd was that purchased in 1886 by W. J. 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 721 

Tod, who was manager for the company from 1885 
to 1889. These bulls were turned loose on the LIT 
range, where the cows were practically all a good 
variety of Texan. These, although only grade Here- 
ford bulls, were well bred and made a marked im- 
pression for the better in the herd. Since then the 
Prairie Cattle Co. has bought almost exclusively 
purebred Herefords. 

During those years the Prairie company was 
branding from their three ranges over 20,000 calves 
a year. In the early '90 's and for years before there 
was a great influx of immigration into southeastern 
Colorado, and before this time the range was be- 
coming seriously overstocked. The company found 
that in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado 
without fences or any control of the range it was 
unprofitable to run a cow herd. The Prairie people 
therefore removed all their herds from New Mexico, 
sold their water rights there, and managed the 
southern Colorado range entirely as a steer propo- 
sition, though still retaining a breeding herd in 
Texas, where they own the land, and in this way 
the property is managed today. 

The Prairie Cattle Co. owned until very recently 
215,000 acres of fenced land in northern Texas, the 
pastures varying in size from a few sections to 6,000 
acres. This ranch carried about 10,000 cattle in the 
breeding herd, upon which only pedigree Hereford 
bulls were used, experience having convinced the 
management that the Shorthorn was unsuitable for 
the rough conditions the cattle had to undergo. In 



k 



722 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Colorado the company owns 32,000 acres of land, 
scattered over the range, solely with a view of k.eep- 
ing the water open. Up to and before 1886 the com- 
pany had a small herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle 
ranging on parts of the New Mexico range, but it 
was found that the calf crop was usually disap- 
pointing and the herd was closed out. The com- 
pany started with a capital of $3,000,000, half of 
which was fully paid up and the remainder de- 
bentures. After the dull times and low prices at 
the end of the '80 's and the beginning of the '90 's, 
the capital was reduced to about half of this sum, 
approximately where it stands today. The com- 
pany probably owns at this writing about 38,000 to 
40,000 head of cattle, principally steers. 

Mr. Murdo Mackenzie managed this property for 
a short time after Mr. Tod left, and in 1889 was 
succeeded by James C. Johnstone, who held the po- 
sition until 1906 when he returned to Scotland. 
Speaking of the use of Herefords on this herd Mr. 
Johnstone in writing to the author from Edinburg 
in May, 1914, said : 

"During the years I managed the company I 
purchased for the herd many hundreds of purebred 
bulls, all Herefords, for I found that they were bet- 
ter than any other breed for range purposes. I 
bought my Hereford bulls principally in Missouri, 
Kansas and Illinois, and for two or three years 
bought all the bulls Mr. Kirk Armour bred on his 
farm at Excelsior Springs. I remember at one of 
the big sales of bulls in Kansas City I was passing 
the auctioneer who was selling a bull which was 
knocked down to a customer at $500. Kirk Armour 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 723 

happened to sight me, and called out to the auction- 
eer, 'There is a man who has got as well bred bulls 
as that running by the hundred on his company's 
ranch in Texas, and I have seen him buy in the 
times when he was getting them for from $50 to $60 
per head.' 

' ' This method of breeding made a very fine show- 
ing, and I left a fine white-faced herd of some 10,000 
head on the Eomero Ranch in the vicinity of Chan- 
ning, Tex., when I quit the company's service." 

Mr. H. Glazbrook, the present manager, in re- 
sponse to an inquiry as to his experience with the 
Hereford blood says : 

''Since 1903, when I first became connected with 
this company, I have had considerable experience 
with Hereford cattle, both on the open range in this 
state and in the pastures of our Texas ranch. Pre- 
vious to that, in fact since 1878, I had been engaged 
in the cattle business, mostly in Texas. During 
those early years we had little but the old longhorn 
cattle — now practically extinct in that state — and 
no fences. Not much effort was made to improve 
the class of stock there until the advent of the barb 
wire fence, at least not in the vicinity where I was 
ranching, and I think this applies generally to the 
whole of the state. When attention was given to 
improving the breed it was approached chiefly 
through Shorthorns, and there can 1)6 no dou])t that 
this blood greatly improved the herds, though it 
might possibly be said that any good blood would 
have done so. I do not remember when the Here- 
ford first made its appearance in Texas and I can- 
not remember the first Hereford I saw in that state, 
but when it did come it came to stay. 

''The Hereford is in my opinion best adapted for 
range purposes, his hardy constitution and 'rust- 



72-1 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ling'' qualities being great assets. (By the latter ex- 
pression I mean his ability to take care of himself.) 
I never see a Shorthorn on the range without think- 
ing of the Scotchman, who being partial to the Here- 
ford for this business, on being asked if he did not 
admire some range Shorthorns, remarked, 'Ay men, 
they are mighty good cattle for hame', meaning of 
course for the barn or some place where they could 
be taken good care of. Our Colorado range is given 
up entirely to grazing steer cattle, and when pur- 
chasing I always endeavor to obtain herds showing 
strong Hereford breeding. On the Texas range we 
raise our own bulls from a purebred herd kept for 
that purpose, though we also buy some. The very 
best of Hereford bulls are purchased for the pure- 
bred herd. We have used nothing but purebred 
Herefords with our herd for about twenty years, 
during which time it has not been crossed with other 
blood. I believe that what has been said about the 
Hereford deteriorating if bred in line too long is at- 
tributable to adverse conditions of the range, and 
not to the breed. Until recently our cattle received 
no feed except the natural grasses. Lately, however, 
we have fed to some extent during the winters." 

Conrad Kohrs. — The ''grand old man" of Mon- 
tana, President of the Pioneer Cattle Co., and one 
of the pillars of northwestern progress and pros- 
perity, Conrad Kohrs, was one of those who availed 
himself of the opportunity to test out the Hereford 
blood by purchases from the Swan-Morgan herd. 
Seven head comprised his original selection at 
Cheyenne, and while he has always been a staunch 
supporter of the Shorthorn he has adhered to the 
Hereford cross ever since it was first used. He has 
never been prejudiced as between the different 




CONRAD KOHRS AT SEVENTY-NINE, AND HIS GRANDSON 
CONRAD KOHRS WARREN. 



h 



726 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

breeds, and has made repeated experiments to de- 
termine which would give the best results on the 
range. He has not only used the Shorthorn at all 
times, but has tried the Aberdeen-Angus. In his 
early experience he accumulated on the Sun River 
Range one of the best herds of non-pedigree Short- 
horns in the west. These were descended from 
good cattle that had been picked up originally in 
the early days along the old California and Oregon 
Trail. They were maintained in the Deer Lodge 
Valley. When the pastures got short in Deer 
Lodge, he was obliged to move them into the Sun 
River country. As early as 1879 he branded 4,900 
calves on the Sun River Ranch. 

The Hereford bulls bought from Swan and Mor- 
gan were sent into this herd and the best bull calves 
produced were kept for breeding purposes. The 
steers from the first cross gave great satisfaction. 
In the early days, when cattle were few in Mon- 
tana and grass abundant, Mr. Kolirs preferred the 
Shorthorns among these crosses because he found 
that they would weigh more at four years old than 
the Herefords. But in those days there were no rail- 
roads and the cattle had to be driven a great dis- 
tance to Laramie City or Cheyenne on the Union 
Pacific; this put them in bad condition and they 
never brought a satisfactory price in Chicago, be- 
cause they were too large for feeders and not fat 
enough for good beef. When the Northern Pacific 
was built Mr. Kohrs moved a lot of cattle to Tongue 
River, about 150 miles south of Miles City, and his 



P^IRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 727 

first shipment over that line in 1882, consisting of 
400 four-year-old steers, was made from that point. 
As the railroad facilities at that time were not very- 
good the cattle were a long time on the road, but 
with a heavy shrink they weighed 1,585 pounds in 
Chicago, and brought the top price at that time for 
range cattle — $5.85. He shipped 700 three-year-old 
steers that same year which weighed in Chicago 
1,365 pounds and which also sold at $5.85. So it is 
clear that the herd at that time was a good one. 
Herefords Good Travelers. — Mr. Kohrs says: 
''I prefer the Herefords on the range because 
they are great rustlers. They are better on their 
feet than the Shorthorns and as the grass has grown 
scarcer and water more inaccessible the cattle have 
to travel farther than formerly, and we find that 
the Herefords keep in better condition than the 
Shorthorns and go through the winter better be- 
cause they will always hunt for grass when there is 
any to be had. ' ' 

A number of years ago Mr. Kohrs bought the 
purebred Hereford herd of the Childs estate. This 
was a good lot derived largely from the stock of 
Adams Earl. The pedigrees were not obtained on 
account of a dispute between the herdsman and the 
administrator, so the cattle have been bred as a 
non-pedigree herd, although registered bulls have 
been constantly maintained in service.* "Since we 



♦Associated for many years in tlie managrement of tVie Pioneer 
Cattle Co. has been Mr. Kohrs' son-in-law, Hon. John M. Board- 
man of Helena, the present general manager of the CK ranch. 
The author feels certain that western cattlemen in general will 
be particularly interested in the portrait of Mr. Kohrs appearing 
elsewhere in this volume. It is a recent one, taken with his 
grandson, who will probably follow in the footsteps of his fathers. 
Mr. Kohrs recently celebrated his seventy-ninth birthday at 
Deer Lodge. 



728 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

have had the Childs' herd", says Mr. Kohrs, *'I 
have found that the crossbred makes a magnificent 
steer, even better in the first cross than either the 
Shorthorn or the Hereford. Our Hereford herd at 
present numbers about 300 head, while our pure- 
bred Shorthorn herd numbers about 700 head. Still, 
today our demand for Shorthorn bulls is greater 
than for the Herefords. Many small breeders are 
coming in. They have pastures and take care of 
their stock in the winter time, and they prefer the 
Shorthorn bull. As far as we are concerned, with 
regard to the cattle we have on the range, we have 
for the past four years used nothing but the Here- 
ford bull. I have found that those who have used 
grade bulls instead of purebred s in building up 
range herds were disappointed. Strong-blooded 
bulls only should be used." 

Asked by the author as to his experience in cross- 
ing Shorthorn bulls on Hereford cows, Mr. Kohrs 
replied : 

**I do not believe there is anyone in the state who 
has to any extent tried that cross, because the Here- 
ford cow has never been plentiful enough in our 
state and therefore there were not enough to make 
it worth while to experiment. The only thing I can 
say so far as breeding the Shorthorn on the Here- 
ford is concerned is that the herds we have received 
from Texas, where it was claimed that the Short- 
horn bull had been used on the Hereford cows, have 
never been good lots. I presume this is largely on 
account of the fact that good Shorthorn bulls have 
not been used. I know that some of the Texas 
breeders have made a great success in that line, for 




Copyright photo by Erwin E. Smltli 
A GOOD CATCH— MATADOR RANGE. 




Copyrtght photo by Erwin E. Smith 
HOBBLING AN ODTLAW. 



730 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

instance, Mr. Burnett of Fort Worth. His herd, 
bred in that way, certainly is a very fine one, and 
has been brougli to that point through careful breed- 
ing. On the other hand, I have had lots of experi- 
ence in breeding the Hereford bull on the Shorthorn 
cow, and I like the result." 

Joseph Scott. — Another leader in the early line 
of progress through the use of white-faced bulls 
upon the open range was Joseph Scott. Born in 
Ireland from Scotch parentage, a man of enterprise, 
high intelligence and thoroughly upright in all his 
dealings, he operated largely in Montana, and later 
at Halleck, Nev. He first came into prominence as 
a member of the firm of Scott & Hank, whose old ad- 
dress was Mandel, Wyo. They ranged on the 
Tongue and Little Powder rivers, their brand being 
S-H. Joe Scott was not only one of the most expert 
cattlemen ever identified with western ranching, but 
he was progressive, and early devoted his attention 
to Herefords, more especially in the Nevada herd. 
He was a customer of Mr. C. M. Culbertson and 
others of the pioneer importers from Herefordshire. 
He also imported cattle direct from England for the 
Montana ranch about 1880, and in connection with 
George Leigh of Aurora, 111., imported 120 head in 
1897, about forty head of which went to the Nevada 
ranch. 

Mr. Scott had a long, eventful and honorable ca- 
reer. He was for several terms President of the 
Montana Stock Growers' Association, and devoted a 
great deal of his time to that work. For many years 
he made his home at Miles City, and from there he 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 731 

went to Spokane, Wash. He underwent all the 
vicissitudes and ups and downs of the cattle busi- 
ness, and in his later years often said: ''I was a 
millionaire before the winter of 1886-87, and a pau- 
per afterwards." Eventually, however, he left 
quite an estate. He died and was buried in Italy, 
and is remembered by all his surviving friends as 
a man of broad sympathies — one who never tired 
helping his fellowmen. 

B. C. Rhome. — One of the pioneers in purebred 
Herefords in north Texas was Mr. B. C. Rhome of 
Fort Worth. He began around 1882 by making pur- 
chases of William Powell, who as already stated was 
probably the first to engage in the trade of supply- 
ing purebred Herefords for the Texas range. Along 
about 1880 Mr. Powell sold quite a number of bulls 
to various range cattle breeders, many of which 
went into southern Texas in the region around San 
Antonio. Mr. Rhome states that shortly after he 
made his first purchases Mr. G. H. Mathis and G. 
P. McCampbell of Rockford also bought cattle from 
Fowler & VanNatta and the T. L. Miller Co. W. 
S. Ikard of Henrietta began a purebred herd about 
this time, making selections from the herds about 
Beecher. According to Mr. Rhome, another early 
Texas herd was that of F. M. Houts of Decatur, 
founded upon purchases from Fowler & VanNatta, 
which included the imported Carwardine bull Wil- 
fred. One of the most important introductions of 
Herefords into Texas during the late '80 's was that 
of 200 head shipped in by Mr. G. W. Henry of Chi- 



732 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

cago. They were plaoed on sale on Mr. Rhome's 
ranch in charge of William Powell. A good many 
of these died of the fever, but this was nevertheless 
the source of a lot of good blood scattered through- 
out different parts of the Texas range country. In 
1888 Mr. Rhome and Mr. Powell formed a. partner- 
ship, buying some of the Henry cattle and adding 
to these a lot belonging to Mr. Powell brought in 
from Beecher. They bought a son of old Fowler 
and two bulls from Thomas Clark for breeding pur- 
poses. In 1890 Rhome & Powell bought the F. M. 
Houts herd numbering about 50 head. The firm at 
this time owned about 200 head. On the dissolution 
of the partnership Mr. Powell established his head- 
quarters at Channing, Tex., at which place he is 
at this writing still living. 

Reynolds Cattle Co. — This is another one of the 
big Texas cattle companies. It has holdings at the 
present time of an estimated value of about $2,500,- 
000. Its operations go back to the very beginnings 
of cattle ranching in the southwest. This com- 
pany had its first Hereford bulls from T. L. Miller 
around 1876, the cows at the time being mainly of 
the ordinary north Texas type. The Reynolds peo- 
ple were among the first to take the Hereford blood 
into Texas. The company now has about 130,000 
acres of broken, hilly, but well watered land in 
Shackelford and Throckmorton counties on which 
about 8,000 cattle have been maintained in recent 
years. It also has 300,000 acres owned and leased in 
Jeff Davis county, carrying about 12,000 cattle. The 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 733 

company has in previous years, however, run as high 
as 50,000 cattle at one time. 

Mr. W. D. Reynolds of this company states that 
they regard the Hereford as the best cattle for range 
use, particularly on short feed in a drouthy country. 
Their early purchases of Herefords from the north 
turned out badly on account of lack of knowledge 
concerning Texas fever and its causes at that time. 
They have bought persistently, however, from va- 
rious breeders, besides producing large numbers of 
bulls from their own herds. They have at different 
times used Shorthorn bulls, and in the recent past 
have introduced a few Aberdeen- Angus and Gallo- 
ways. Like most of their contemporaries they aim to 
run about four bulls to 100 cows. Bulls of their own 
breeding are turned in as yearlings, but when pur- 
chased from the outside are usually two-year-olds. 

The Hereford in California. — Beyond the Sierra 
Nevada Mountains climatic conditions as relating 
to cattle-ranching differ materially from those pre- 
vailing in the Rocky Mountain region proper. There 
is, except perhaps in the extreme southern portion 
of the state of California, a much greater annual 
rainfall than occurs on this side of the coast ranges, 
giving a larger supply of succulent feed. The cli- 
mate is also milder and more equable. Due perhaps 
to the fact that the natural conditions do not make 
such severe demands upon range herds, the Here- 
ford has not come into so commanding a position 
on the Pacific Coast as throughout the more arid 
regions of the western states. The earliest im- 



734 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

proved cattle on the coast were undoubtedly Short- 
horns, and at one time Devon bulls were quite in 
evidence. 

Not long after the Herefords began attaining pop- 
ularity all along the line from Texas to Montana, 
the white-faced blood was introduced into both Ore- 
gon and California and subsequently became popu- 
lar with those who were handling cattle in large 
numbers. Particularly was this the case with com- 
panies running cattle on the ranges of New Mexico, 
Nevada or Arizona, as well as in the state of Cali- 
fornia. 

An Importation from Australia. — Soon after the 
demand for Herefords set in among the cattle-own- 
ers of the coast it developed that owing to the high 
price of good purebred '* white faces" and the high 
railway freights in the transportation of such ani- 
mals Mr. Roland P. Saxe of San Francisco made 
two importations, comprising fifty-six head, mostly 
cows and heifers, from Australia, A part of these 
were for Capt. William Kohl and T. J. Janes of San 
Mateo. It was found that these cattle could at that 
time be landed in California cheaper than from the 
eastern part of the United States. We are without 
information as to the exact sources from which 
these cattle were obtained or as to their use, but it 
is a matter of record that the shipments were made 
and that forty of the fifty-six cattle so imported 
were from New Zealand. A portion of these ship- 
ments came from New South Wales. 

Mr. Jastro's Experience. — No one has been more 



FIRST HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE 735 

active in the introduction and dissemination of 
Hereford blood in California than Mr. H. A. Jas- 
tro of Bakersfield, general superintendent for the 
Kern County Land Co. Mr. Jastro has maintained 
since some time in the '80 's a herd of purebred 
Hereford cows, which now numbers probably 500 
head and runs on this company's Stockdale range. 
His aim has been to produce bulls of good quality 
under natural conditions for use on the extensive 
Arizona and New Mexico ranches operated by his 
company. The size of the herd, as well as the pur- 
pose for which it is maintained, makes it imprac- 
tical as well as unnecessary to maintain registration 
for the cattle produced. 

Inasmuch as something like 20,000 calves are 
branded yearly in connection with the operations of 
his company, and in view of the long and successful 
experience of Mr. Jastro with cattle in the south- 
west his endorsement of the Hereford for range pur- 
poses must carry weight. He testifies that they are 
hardier, will travel farther for water and keep in 
better condition on short feed than Shorthorns or 
any other breed except the Devons. ''In fact," says 
Mr. Jastro, ''it is my judgment that by carefully 
supplying the range with bulls of the right stamp 
the Hereford is really the only breed for range pur- 
poses where water is scarce and feed at certain sea- 
sons of the year is sliort. On the other hand, the 
rancher who has lots of feed and plenty of water 
will in my judgment find the Shorthorns more profit- 
able." 



736 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mr. Jastro states that while he thinks there is a 
tendency towards some loss of size where the Here- 
ford cross is repeated during a succession of years 
his remedy for this is to turn out Shorthorn bulls 
every third or fourth year, so that cows will get 
back to their original size. He adds: "Our best 
success is in crossing a Hereford bull with cows well 
bred up in Shorthorn blood." 

Mr, Mackey, who was at one time manager of the 
Rancho Del Paso, commonly known as the "Haggin 
Grant," and famous for its Thoroughbred horses, 
at one time introduced Hereford cattle which later 
found their way to Bakersfield and were merged 
into the Stockdale herd when the grant was sold. 

The Chowchilla Herd.— In April, 1882, Mr. John 
Clay, of Clay, Robinson & Co., purchased the Chow- 
chilla Ranch, comprising 116,000 acres of land and 
the herd of 12,000 head of cattle, for a Scotch syn- 
dicate. Mr. Clay had visited California some years 
prior to that date. He states that at the time of his 
•first visit the cattle of California were still strong 
in Spanish blood — a big, bony, stretchy lot, much 
heavier than Texas cattle of the same ages. These 
responded rapidly to the Shorthorn cross. Miller 
& Lux had brought down to their ranches a lot of 
Oregon cows which were coarse-boned, heavily- 
built Shorthorn types upon which they had used 
Devon bulls in the hope of acquiring more quality. 
About this time Mr. Clay bought two carloads of 
bulls by Devon sires and from ordinary Oregon 
cows from this firm. They were put into the ''Sev- 




Isactc Bird 



738 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

enty-one Quarter Circle" herd on the Sweetwater, 
but the results of their work were swept away in the 
winter of 1886-87 so that no satisfactory estimate 
as to the value of the cross could be made. 

The first move of the Chowchilla company was 
the purchase in Illinois of a number of good 
Shorthorn bulls and heifers for the purpose of re- 
plenishing the then limited number of purebred cat- 
tle on the ranch and of increasing the herd. The 
year following Mr. Clay shipped several carloads 
of extra Shorthorn heifers from the east, which sup- 
plied a good foundation for a registered herd. 

In the fall of 1884 Mr. Isaac Bird was given full 
management of the business by Mr. Clay and from 
that time on the greatest care was given to the 
breeding of the cattle. In a few years a Shorthorn 
herd of high quality was established. In due time 
the blood began to show in the range herd, as all 
the bulls were purebreds. None but Shorthorns were 
used until the year 1898, when Mr. Bird purchased 
several loads of Hereford cows and bulls; and it 
was at this point that the "hit" of the company's 
career was made. The crosses by Hereford bulls 
on Shorthorn cows were extra good, developing into 
A-1 stock wliich was always in good flesh, while at 
times the other cattle on the range were thin. Speak- 
ing of the success of this cross Mr. Bird says: "My 
thirty years' experience in the cattle business has 
taught me that the best steers I ever raised were 
those bred from Hereford bulls on Shorthorn cows, 
the Shorthorn giving them large bone and square 
rumps." 



740 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

In December, 1900, the Cliowcliilla outfit exliibited 
at the Chicago International one carload of Short- 
horn calves on which the blue ribbon for the south- 
ern district was secured. These calves averaged 
600 pounds and were purchased by Mr. Judy, of 
Menard Co., 111., at $7 per cwt. He in turn fed six- 
teen head of them for the International of the follow- 
ing year and on these was awarded first prize for 
fed yearlings. They averaged at that time 1,260 
pounds. At this same show the company exhilnted 
one carload of Shorthorn calves and a carload of 
half-bred Herefords and drew blue ribbons again. 

In 1905 the Chowchilla people sold their beef 
steers to the Western Meat Co. (Swift & Co.), and 
the tops proving too fat for the San Francisco mar- 
ket two trains of twenty cars each of these three- 
year-olds were shipped to the Chicago stock yards 
on the 15th and 20tli of April. The first trainload 
averaged 1,280 pounds and the second shipment 1,200 
pounds, with an average shrinkage of 90 pounds 
per head in transit. Mr. Charles Robinson (of Clay, 
Robinson & Co.) wrote at the time in regard to 
these cattle that no one in the yards could believe 
that they were grass cattle, owing to their being so 
fat and such early beef. At least 90 per cent of 
these steers were half-bred Herefords. Owing to 
the high price of land the Chowchilla Ranch was 
sold in 1911 to a colonization company, and the rem- 
nant of the herd was sold to Miller & Lux in 1912. 
The cow had to give way to the farmer. 

Mr. Henry Miller, of Miller & Lux, was never par- 




Copyright photo by Erwln E. Smith 
A UAN(!E BOSS ON THE 0. IX. HANCII. ARIZONA. 




Copyright photo by Erwln B. Smith 
THE MARK OF THE "WHITE-FACE." VIEW ON O. R. RANCH. ARIZONA. 



742 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CxVTTLE 

ticularly favorable to Herefords, and often said, ''A 
red Shorthorn is good enough for me." Mr. Bird 
says: *' Herefords do as well if not better than any 
breed we have ever handled, and were I to raise 
cattle again I would always be partial to the 'white 
faces.' At this time there is scarcely a herd in Cali- 
fornia in which 3'ou do not see some Herefords, and 
I feel that within a few years the number will be 
greatly increased. I like them, for I know what 
they did for us. And I may state that our herd of 
18,000 cattle was considered in its day the best large 
herd west of the Rockies." 



h 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
THE BED EOBE OF COURAGE. 

The winter of 1886-87 was one of the worst ever 
experienced on the western ranges. It brought wide- 
spread disaster and an almost complete collapse 
of the cattle business as then conducted on the open 
range. The result of this great calamity, which 
brought ruin to many leading operators, was an 
increased demand for Hereford bulls. Heavy 
losses had occurred in different localities during 
preceding years, and in most cases the comparison 
as to the relative hardiness of the different breeds 
had from the beginning been altogether favorable 
to the "white faces." When the supreme test came 
in the winter of 1886-87, while the Herefords them- 
selves suffered considerable losses, the gen- 
eral consensus of opinion was that they had stood 
the test in a manner which demonstrated that they 
were better qualified to endure privations than any 
other known type. Not only did the range men 
turn more generally to the use of Hereford bulls, 
but what was equally important, they began 
making better provision for the future maintenance 
of their herds. There was less overcrowding of the 
ranges, more businesslike methods of administra- 
tion generally, and in the end better results than 

743 



744 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD Cx\.TTLE 

had been attained during the wild period of specu- 
lation that had previously prevailed. 

Hereford Hardiness Hereditary. — The breed that 
passed through this harsh experience so success- 
fully presents an interesting study in heredity — the 
persistent transmission of ancestral qualities, even 
after the lapse of generations. The Hereford of 
old Herefordshire, the Hereford of a century and 
a half ago, was bred for the yoke. He was not 
reared in the lap of luxury. He was not pampered. 
His was a life of plain living and heavy hauling. 
No corn and little cake entered into his rations. He 
tilled the fields of his owner, subsisted mainly on 
grass, and often worked hard till more than ten 
years old. Beef-making as a business prior to the 
time of Tomkins the Younger did not enter specially 
into the calculation. What this did for the Here- 
fordshire cattle may be read today in those heavy 
shoulders and broad chests, those legs and muscles 
that enable them to tramp the range and win their 
way through storm and stress and drouth and heat 
and cold, traversing distances that are hopeless to 
most cattle of other improved breeds, and through 
it all maintainins: fair condition.* 



*Will C. Barnes, author of "Western Grazing- Grounds," speak- 
ing- of the superior hardiness of the Hereford says: "Range cat- 
tle ^vith considerable infusions of Shorthorn blood are never quite 
so hardy as the old stock, and in the early spring when the heel 
flies are about they seem to delight in finding the worst bog 
holes. Once down they often lose all pluck and grit, and where 
a Hereford would fight her way out to hard ground the cow with 
the infusion of Shorthorn blood is apt to give up after the first 
struggle. Even when dragged out by the bog rider she may make 
no effort to get to her feet, but will lie there and starve, losing 
herself and her calf to the owner. On the other hand, the long- 
horn or Hereford when thus dragged out will, if she has a single 
spark of life left in her, get to her feet some way and chase 
her rescuer off the range." 



THE RED ROBE OF COURAGE 745 

Swan's Failure. — A. H. Swan personally went 
down in 1887, but the Swan company, which was 
financed in Scotland, survived. No attempt had 
ever been made to count the cattle until the summer 
of 1887, when Mr. Finlay Dun, with his famous 
paint pot and brush, attempted to tally the herd. 
Summer showers and other causes soon disposed 
of the patches of paint and tlie work was given up, 
as it was found that cattle were being tallied twice 
over. The company had, however, purchased a 
lot of land. The spring of 1887 found the corpora- 
tion possessed of a herd of cattle estimated at 
50,000 head, possibly less. In addition the company 
had about 576,000 acres of land. A large part of 
this was intermediate sections of railroad land on 
the Laramie Plains-— a high and exposed plateau. 
Part of this was eventually allowed to go back to 
the railroad, the original owner. Today, we believe, 
the company owns about 270,000 acres of railroad 
land (intermediate sections) and 40,000 acres of 
hind on the Chug, Sybille and Richeau, and in 
Goshen's Hole. Mr. Dun managed the property 
during the summer, fall and winter of 1887-1888. 

Mr. John Clay was appointed manager of the 
Swan company on tlie first of March, 1888, and re- 
mained in charge until July, 1896. Mr. Al Bowie 
succeeded Mr. Clay, and after him came Mr. Wil- 
liam Dawson, who resigned in 1912 and was suc- 
ceeded by Mr. M. R. Johnstone. The company to- 
day, so far as actual management is concerned, lies 
in the hands of an executive committee composed 



746 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of John Clay, James T. Craig and M. R. Johnson, 
all practical western men. 

The Swan range in the old days extended from 
Ogallala, Neb., to Fort Steele, "VVyo. In a general 
way the cattle ranged with many others over the 
whole territory north from the Union Pacific Rail- 
road (taking the points named as the east and west 
limits) to the Platte River. In round numbers this 
was a terirtory 200 miles long and 100 miles wide. 
Gradually this range has been encroached upon. In 
1910 most of the cattle were sold. The company 
had run quite a number of sheep previous to that 
time, and now it is largely a sheep proposition. In 
five years' time, at the present rate, the dry-farmers 
will take all the public lands in Goshen's Hole, on 
the Chug, Sybille and other streams. What thirty 
years ago was purely a grazing area in a region 
considered arid is now being taken up for farming 
purposes. Up to date the dry-farmer has not yet 
located on the higher altitudes of the Laramie 
Plains. 

Al Bowie's Testimony. — Mr. Bowie, so long 
identified with the Swan company, has spent the 
best part of his life upon the Yv'yoming range, and 
is a willing witness in behalf of the value of the 
Herefords under conditions there prevailing. He 
says: 

"When in 1884 we purchased a large lot of 
Shorthorns as well as several hundred Herefords 
we were feeding the Shorthorns all the hay they 
wanted. In fact, we had to in order to keep them 
alive, while the Herefords ran to pasture and kept 




^ 

I cJ.M.Careiy 



c7. M. Soardman 



748 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

in much better condition than the Shorthorns did 
on hay. Since that time I have been much more in 
favor of the Herefords than Shorthorns. They are 
more quiet, have better coats of hair, stand the win- 
ter better and running on a poor range show a much 
less loss under same conditions. Furthermore, they 
cross well if you have good Shorthorn cows, as we 
had in 1880 — cows that came in from Oregon and 
Washington. In fact, I have" never since seen as 
good ones. 

"In-breeding and poor feed have caused some 
loss of size and weight among the Herefords, at 
least that has been my experience. They are not 
naturally as big cattle as the Shorthorns, but they 
are more blocky and there will be fewer culls in a 
big herd. They naturally have shorter legs than 
the Shorthorns, and do much better on short, poor 
feed. 

"The cattlemen and commission men of Chicago 
will condemn our Herefords in seasons when we 
have hard winters and poor feed in summers and 
cattle do not get fat. Then when we have the re- 
verse in seasons and cattle get fat they think the 
Herefords all right. Where the Hereford shines is 
in a feedlot. As T. B. Hord used to say, 'Fat is a 
good color.' He also said, 'Give the Hereford one 
cross of blood and three crosses of corn and you 
have beef good enough for any one.' " 

Robert Kleberg. — It is given to few men to be 
afforded the opportunity for such big constructive 
work as fell to Mr. Robert J. Kleberg, Capt. 
King's son-in-law, at the decease of the proprietor 
of the great Santa Gertrudis property in southeast 
Texas, to which reference has already been made. 
Few of those who fall heir to such opportunities 
rise to their full achievement. The development of 




ROBERT J. KLEBERG. 



750 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the lands and cattle in the hands of Mr. Kleberg^, 
however, constitutes one of the most important 
chapters in the latter-day history of the state of 
Texas. However, our story of the Hereford cattle 
is in itself too long for us to enter into great detail 
as to the modern history of the King ranch. "We 
must therefore sketch rapidly. 

The two half-million-acre ranches mentioned in a 
previous chapter were subdivided into numerous 
''small" pastures, ranging in size from 1,000 acres 
to 50,000 acres each. This was done for the pur- 
pose of carrying out certain clearly defined pur- 
poses in the introduction of purebreds. The under- 
ground rivers were tapped, artesian wells gushed 
forth their pure waters wherever wanted, the rail- 
way finally pierced the great principality, and 
towns and irrigated farms came into existence 
where once half-wild cattle and horses roamed the 
unfenced plains. 

Mr. Kleberg was for a number of years a liberal 
buyer of registered Shorthorn cattle, purchased 
from the best herds of the middle west, particu- 
larly those of Kentucky and Missouri. These of 
course had to undergo the trying process of becom- 
ing acclimated, and losses were frequently so heavy 
as to be altogether discouraging. Mr. Kleberg was 
one of the first to undertake the risks attending the 
introduction of high-priced purebred bulls below 
the fever line, but his persistence and enterprise 
were finally rewarded. In due course of time dis- 
covery was made that the cattle tick was the cause 




MRS. KING'S NEW FIREPROOF RESIDENCE. UNDER COXSTRDCTION 
AT SANTA GERTRDDIS. 



iJUgt^m^m^^^^^jtimji 




A ROUND-UP OF OLD COWS OVER TEN YEARS OLD. 
Cattle being sold and delivered on lower ranch of Mrs. King, Cameron Co., Texas. 



752 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of the so-called Texas fever. Indeed, it is asserted 
that the preliminary proofs in this most important 
discovery were first furnished at the Santa Ger- 
trudis Ranch. The Department of Agriculture, 
then under the efificient direction of the late Secre- 
tary Rusk, took the matter actively in hand, and by 
a series of investigations established the truth of 
what had previously been a mere theory in regard 
to the mj'sterious origin of this southern plague. 
At length the process of immunizing the northern 
cattle against the disease was scientifically worked 
out, after which the cattle intended for breeding 
purposes could be shipped from above the fever 
line with comparative safety. 

It was not until after the cattle on the King ranch 
had been well graded up with Shorthorn blood that 
the Hereford was introduced. Bulls, as well as 
heifers, sired by the most noted prize-winning bulls 
of the north were bought in large numbers, so that 
at the present time probably 90 per cent of all the 
cattle on the upper ranch are grade Hereford- 
Shorthorns, the others being either purebred Short- 
horns or purebred Herefords. Of the latter there 
are now about 2,000 head, and of the former about 
4,000, kept on the upper ranch for the purpose of 
breeding bulls for the main herd. The best are re- 
tained for this purpose and the remainder are sold 
to be used on ranches in southern Texas and Old 
Mexico. 

Some years ago the Laureles ranch was acquired 
bv the King estate from the Texas Land & Cattle 



THE RED ROBE OP COURAGE 753 

Co. This was a property of something over 300,- 
000 acres which joined the Santa Gertrndis on the 
east of the upper ranch. Other lands were added 
until over 1,000,000 acres were included in the two 
ranches. Since the construction of the railway 
through the property, several hundred thousand 
acres have been subdivided and sold to farmers, 
and four towns with a population of from 1,000 to 
5,000 inhabitants each are now located on what was 
formerly the ranch proper. 

Mr. Kleberg joins with most of the other expe- 
rienced range men in giving the palm to the Here- 
fords in the matter of maintaining their condition 
under ordinary range conditions. Nevertheless, he 
is a great admirer of the Shorthorns, and as above 
stated still maintains them in large numbers. That 
they require rather better care than the Herefords, 
however, in order to secure the best results is freely 
admitted. It was from the King ranch that Mr. 
Murdo Mackenzie selected in 1912, 150 heifers and 
650 bulls, mostly Herefords, for export to Brazil. 

Capt. John Tod. — This veteran Scottish herd 
manager had his first experience with Herefords be- 
tween 1883 and 1886 in Wabaunsee and Chase coun- 
ties in Kansas. From 1887 to 1907 he had charge of 
the Laureles Eanch of 325,000 acres — the property 
of the Texas Land & Cattle Co. on the Gulf Coast in 
Nueces Co., Tex., since sold to the King estate. 
From 1887 to 1891 Capt. Tod also managed a ranch 
in the Panhandle. 

During a period of some twenty years he handled 



754 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

annually on an average prol)ably 10,000 liead of 
grade and purebred Herefords and 20,000 Short- 
horns, the bulk of the cows being from a Texas 
foundation. He says that in his experience the 
Hereford bull is "far and away the best for range 
purposes." As a rustler he insists that the Here- 
ford is "infinitely better than the Shorthorn, having 
more vitality", and he testifies that "when Here- 
ford bulls and Shorthorn bulls are turned out in the 
spring in very large pastures with Shorthorn cows, 
the bulk of the early calves are 'white faces.' " 

Capt. Tod states that though it is generally agreed 
that Hereford bulls have made their greatest suc- 
cess when the cow herds had previously been more 
or less improved by the use of Shorthorn blood, it 
should be explained that in tlie early days of grading 
up from common cows, while there were plenty of 
good Shorthorn bulls used, many of the Hereford 
bulls resorted to were little better than "scrubs", 
and were largely grades. 

In regard to the assertion that the continued use 
of one Hereford cross after another upon a herd al- 
ready well graded up with white-raced blood tends 
to an ultimate loss of size and weight, Capt. Tod 
says : 

"My observation is that ranchmen have not been 
persistent enough, have got tired out too soon with 
the long effort necessary, have shut up the purse 
strings too tightly, and have not kept on purchasing 
better and better bulls. My experience is that if 
this is done the seven-eighths or fifteen-sixteenths 
grade Hereford cowj5 do not show a loss of weight 



THE RED ROBE OP COURAGE 755 

and size. The Herefords are generally preferred 
throughout the range country on account of their 
good constitutions, grazing qualities, prepotency and 
masculinity. The cows are good nurses, rear their 
calves as well or better than any other breed, and 
while doing so keep in better condition. Graziers 
and feeders have a preference for the steer from a 
Shorthorn cow, by a Hereford bull, and the nearer 
to a perfect 'white face' the better they like him." 

The Capitol Syndicate XIT Ranch. — This great 
ranch was situated in the northwest corner of the 
Panhandle of Texas, lying in the counties of Dal- 
lam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Palmer, Castro, 
Bailey, Lamb, Hockley and Cochran, and consisted 
of 3,000,000 acres. The state of Texas retained all 
of the land lying within its boundaries when it was 
admitted into the Union. To provide an adequate 
capitol building at Austin the legislature passed an 
act in 1879 appropriating 3,000,000 acres of land for 
disposition in that connection, the same to be se- 
lected from the unappropriated state lands by a 
commissioner appointed to locate none but agricul- 
tural or grazing lands. There were at that time 
5,000,000 acres from which to make the selection. 
This was made in 1879 and 1880 and the land was 
surveyed into leagues, a league comprising 4,428 
acres. These 3,000,000 acres lay in a tract averag- 
ing about 25 miles wide east and west l)y about 200 
miles north and south, the west border being the line 
between Texas and New Mexico. The property was 
offered to a responsible party who would enter into 
a contract to erect a state capitol according to plans 
and specifications furnished by the state. This con- 



756 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tract was ultimately assigned to a syndicate consist- 
ing of U. S. Senator C. B. Farwell, John V. Farwell, 
the well known wholesale dry goods man of Chicago, 
Col. Abner Taylor, who at one time represented in 
Congress the first district of Chicago, and Col. A. C. 
Babcock of Canton, 111., all now deceased. 

Description of the Property. — Generally speaking 
this tract of land is a level plain or plateau varying 
from 2,300 to 4,700 feet in altitude covered by a lux- 
uriant growth of buffalo, mesquite, grama, blue- 
stem, bunch, sage and other grasses. The soil va- 
ries from chocolate loam to red sandy loam, with 
subsoil of practically the same character under 
which lies a stratum of clay. The Canadian Eiver 
traverses the tract in an easterly direction through 
Oldham county and tributary to it the land is rolling 
or gently undulating. There were a few springs on 
this tract of land and these and the waters of the 
Canadian were all that the buffalo and wild animals 
of the early days could depend upon. Many lake 
basins are to be found on the plains which contain 
water for some time after heavy rainfalls. These 
were entirely inadequate to supply water for the 
large herds that were put on this tract by the Cap- 
itol Syndicate, and it became necessary to bore 
wells, erect windmills over them and provide drink- 
ing troughs and reservoirs. The syndicate bored 
about 300 such wells which varied in depth from 10 
to 400 feet and averaged about 125 feet. Dams were 
thrown across ravines or draws to conserve the 
rainfall. The watering facilities were developed in 



THE RED ROBE OF COURAGE 757 

this way sufficiently to take care of 150,000 head of 
cattle. The water in the bored wells was ''free- 
stone" of good quality. 

Character of the XIT Cattle. — The ranch was first 
stocked with cattle during the years of 1885, 1886 
and 1887. These were cattle of very indifferent 
quality — some from near the Gulf of Mexico and 
some from the country lying tributary to and south 
of the Texas & Pacific Railway. The herd at its 
maximum size numbered about 150,000 head. There 
were seven divisions of the ranch and each of the 
seven divisions had its territory cut into a number 
of pastures by barbed wire fences. After the ranch 
had been separated into divisions, which in turn 
were divided into several pastures, the work of im- 
proving the herd was undertaken — some time about 
1889. The sorting of the cattle with a view to fol- 
lowing out different lines of breeding was a matter 
of several years. With such large numbers and such 
great distances this sorting necessarily took consid- 
erable time. But by degrees the cattle which in the 
judgment of the management seemed most suitable 
for mating with Hereford bulls were put in certain 
pastures, others which it was thought promised good 
results from Aberdeen-Angus crossing were placed 
in certain other pastures, and those that seemed 
most in need of the Shorthorn blood were quartered 
in still other pastures, so that an effort could be 
made to experiment and improve along the lines of 
these three distinct breeds. 

The scarcity and high price of purebred bulls in 



758 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the late '80 's and early '90 's made their use in any 
large numbers impossible for this ranch. Many low- 
grade bulls had been put on the ranch in the late 
'80 's, but each year a better class of sires was pro- 
cured and after 1892 only purebred bulls were pur- 
chased. With cattle of such an ordinary foundation 
and with grade bulls improvement was necessarily 
slow. However, after the introduction of purebred 
bulls, as was the case on the Matador and other 
great Panhandle ranges, improvement was rapid, so 
that when the cattle began to be dispersed on account 
of sales of land in 1901 the herd for one of such 
large size was of exceptional quality. At the sale 
of the last cattle in 1912 it was, for all practical beef 
purposes, a purebred herd. 

Purebred Bulls Purchased. — The Hereford bulls 
to work this improvement were purchased largely 
from William Powell, Channing, Tex., the Farwell 
Bros., Montezuma, la., and the T. L. Miller Co., 
Beecher, 111. The Aberdeen-Angus bulls came from 
Farwell Bros., Montezuma, la., Anderson & Find- 
lay, Lake Forest, 111., George Farwell, Mt. Morris, 
111., and Arnold Bros., Hansford Co., Tex. The 
herds of John D. Gillett, Elkhart, 111., and C. S. Bar- 
clay, West Liberty, la., furnished the Shorthorns. 
Besides these a goodly number of bulls were pur- 
chased each year from individuals who would under- 
take a contract of getting together a number of good 
ones from the leading herds of the various beef 
breeds of the country. In 1892 the company pur- 
chased from the T. L. Miller Co. forty-four bulls and 



THE RED ROBE OF COURAGE 759 

111 Hereford cows. Some years later it purcliased 
from Mr. Cook, Odeboldt, la., a number of regis- 
tered Hereford females, and in 1892 from Arnold 
Bros, fifty-five registered Aberdeen-Angus females 
and a large number of bulls, besides a number of 
Herefords and Aberdeen-Angus from tlie Farwell 
Bros. 

With these purebred females of the Aberdeen- 
Angus and of the Hereford breeds small herds were 
established into which were introduced bulls from 
the best herds of the country for the purpose of 
raising sires for use on the company's ranch. In 
the later years almost enough bulls for its own use 
were supplied from this source. 

Herefords Predominate. — While Mr. George Find- 
lay of this company was closely identified with 
Aberdeen- Angus interests, the management made no 
claim as to superior adaptability for any of the three 
beef breeds. Mr. A. G. Boyce, the manager under 
whom most of the early improvements were effected, 
undertook the work at a time when he was strongly 
of the belief that the Shorthorns were the best cat- 
tle. After a number of years' experience with these 
breeds it is stated that he ended his career on the 
ranch in the belief that the Angus were in the first 
place and the Herefords second, but the manager 
who followed him, Mr. H. S. Boice, a ranchman of 
large experience and owner of large herds, was 
strongly in favor of the Herefords. Of course there 
were many things to consider in seeking an answer 
to a question of this kind on a ranch of this charac- 



760 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ter.* Two herds might be separated 200 miles apart 
on such an enormous range, and one year climatic 
conditions might be more favorable for one herd 
than the other, and vice versa the next year. But it 
was the belief of those who had most to do with the 
property that either of these breeds properly looked 
after would do well in the Panhandle. 

Views of H. S. Boice. — In this connection the fol- 
lowing narration by H. S. Boice, formerly with the 
XIT syndicate, is of interest. In a letter to the 
author under date of June 19, 1914, written from 
Los Angeles, Cal., he says : 

"About thirty-five years ago while I was working 
as a hand on the range in southern Colorado, we had 
a drouth followed by a very severe winter. In those 
days range cattle, including bulls, were left to the 
mercy of the elements. The losses during that win- 
ter were simply tremendous. The next spring our 
round-ups showed very plainly the survival of the 
fittest in the depleted herds and the Herefords, com- 
pared with the other breeds, were conspicuously 
numerous, and of the bulls that survived the many 

*Sales of large tracts of land were made by the syndicate 
in 1901 and 1902 to ranchmen who were beginning to realize that 
the public domain was fast being settled up and that the day 
when it would be necessary to own the land in order to control 
the grass was very near at hand. Several hundred thousand acres 
of the tract were sold to George W. Littlefield, the well known 
banker and ranchman of Texas, owner of the LFD brand. Another 
large tract went to W. E. Halsell, large cattle owner of Indian 
Territory, another to the Matador Land & Cattle Co., another to 
T. S. Button and E. L. Halsell of Kansas City, another to Rhea 
Bros, of New Mexico, another to F. D. Wight of Trindad, Colo., 
and another to W. ,T. Tod, Maplehill, Kans. A few years later, 
beginning about 1906, a large influx of northern farmers took 
place, and a great deal of the land was sold in tracts ranging 
from 40 acres to a section or several sections. Some idea of the 
extent of this business may be gathered from the fact that the 
company has executed and delivered over 2,500 deeds to land 
from the Capitol Reservation grant, and the lands sold aggregate 
about 2,000,000 acres, 




Gov.W^CJI^Donald 



H.S.Boice 



762 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

months of grief, the Herefords wexe about the only 
ones left. This experience of course made a lasting 
imjDression on me in favor of the Herefords and my 
varied experience since has confirmed it. 

"During the year 1897 the H. S. Boice Cattle Co. 
was organized and purchased the Beaty Bros, ranch 
and cattle in southeastern Colorado and southwest- 
ern Kansas. We continued the ranch about ten 
years, when the settlers came in on us and obliged 
us to close out our cattle. These cattle were fairly 
well improved. We eliminated all bulls from the 
herd except the Herefords and soon raised all the 
sires required from a fine little herd of select cows 
in which we kept the best bulls that money would 
buy. We were very particular in selecting the 
heavy-boned, big-framed bulls for both the small 
herd and the large one. When it was known tliat we 
intended to use Hereford bulls continuously, without 
crossing with the Shorthorn occasionally, it was 
often remarked that our cattle would grow smaller 
until we would be obliged to cross with the Sliort- 
horn. But our experience did not justify the pre- 
dictions. Our herd grew in numljers until we were 
branding over 5,000 calves. It became very uniform 
and attractive in quality and steadily grew heavier 
in bone, frame and weight and our feeders sold on 
the range at the top of the market year after year. 
The fat cows likewise generally topped the market 
at Kansas City in weight and price. 

''I was connected with tlie Capital Freehold Land 
& Investment Co. (XIT outfit) as general manager 
of their cattle interests in the Panhandle of Texas 
for seven years, closing out the same in the fall of 
1912. When I took charge they were branding about 
20,000 calves, much the larger number of which were 
from their Hereford herd. These cattle were of 
good quality and had been graded up from the un- 



THE RED ROBE OF COURAGE 763 

improved straight Texas cows that were placed on 
the ranch about 1885. Nothing but purebred Here- 
ford bulls were being used and they were raised from 
a purebred herd that numbered at one time about 
3,500 head. We kept the standard of this purebred 
herd high by cutting out every year and turning into 
the large herd everything that showed a lack of 
quality. 

*'I wish to emphasize the fact that the purebred 
Hereford is a hardier, thriftier range animal than 
the grade Hereford. As a demonstration of the fact 
I will say in this instance that our purebred herd 
was handled just the same and had no better treat- 
ment than our large graded herd and yet was always 
in better condition. Both herds had to depend upon 
the grass and natural shelter of the pastures in 
which they were located, with simply a wire fence 
between them. Neither herd was given any addi- 
tional feed in the winter. Those cattle that became 
poor and weak were gathered into a smaller pasture 
and fed cake on the grass. 

"During the last six years I have given most of 
my time to the breeding ranch of Boice, Gates & 
Johnson, formerly known as the Chiricahua Cattle 
Co., or CCC outfit, in southern Arizona. It is one 
of the oldest herds in the state and has been one of 
the best improved for many years, though we have 
materially improved it and it is still in the process 
of improvement. At the beginning of my adminis- 
tration we bought a select purebred herd to raise 
bulls from and shipped them to our upper ranch 
where they are located at an elevation of about 6,500 
feet. They have never had any feed except the nat- 
ural grass and browsing and have always been in 
better condition than our main graded herd adjoin- 
ing. "When we brought this little herd there, the old 
foreman, who had been in the business all his life, 



764 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

sliook his head, knowing the disaster that would fol- 
low in turning out purebred cattle to rustle for them- 
selves. But since then he has often stated that it was 
too bad that all our cattle were not purebred Here- 
fords. 

"We are now able to turn into our main herd 150 
choice bulls a year from our purebred herd. The 
three herds to which I have referred, in Colorado, 
Texas and Arizona, reached the highest standard in 
quality for range cattle in the several localities by 
the same method — careful elimination and selection. 
In following this method the very best l)ulls, regard- 
less of price, should be obtained for the purebred 
herds. Everything undesiral^le in quality should be 
culled out every year and the young bulls turned 
into the main herd should be most liberally culled, 
leaving only the big-boned, big-framed, loose-hided, 
rangy fellows even though some of them may seem a 
little coarse. The main or large herd should also be 
constantly culled. By the way, I think most of the 
breeders of our finest herds of purebred cattle are 
not as particular as they should be in culling out 
from their herds the poorer quality and undesirable 
animals." 



CHAPTER XIX. 
PROOF PILED ON PROOF. 

As has been already stated the first crosses of the 
Shorthorn on the Longhorn and other native types 
had made a marked improvement but, unfortunately 
for the best interests of a breed which was not solid- 
colored, the western demand for Shorthorns in the 
old days persistently prescribed "red-and-all-red" 
as the only color wanted. The reason was plain. 
Light or broken-colored bulls left a motley progeny 
when mated with the black, dun or brindle cows so 
common in the old Texan stock. Roan is the one 
distinctive Shorthorn color, the one color never 
counterfeited by any other breed. White and red- 
and-white Shorthorns have also always been com- 
mon. 

This range demand for red Shorthorns during the 
boom days of the business led inevitably to the sac- 
rifice by the Shorthorn breeders of Kentucky and 
the central west of thousands of their best bulls, and 
to the retention in many cases of inferior animals of 
the right color for getting stock available for range 
purposes — to the palpal)le injury of the breed. We 
have only to observe a ring of Shorthorns at any of 
our leading shows of today, where perhaps two- 
thirds of all the best animals will be roan or white, 
to realize what was really lost to the breed through 

765 



766 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the failure twenty-five years ago to utilize the best 
material at hand regardless of color. It was a condi- 
tion, however, and not a theory that confronted the 
breeders of that time, and they pursued the only 
course then open to them. They were forced to cater 
to the range, and therefore it may well be said at this 
time that the rise of Hereford power in the far west 
was really the beginning of a great renaissance in 
the popularity as well as in the merit of the Short- 
horn in the older states, the abatement of the range 
demand for red bulls proving a real blessing in dis- 
guise to the old-time favorites. But, to our story. 

The Carey Co.— The J. M. Carey & Bro. Co., the 
owner of the CY brand, at one time ran as many as 
40,000 cattle. In recent years on account of their 
range becoming restricted these men have reduced 
the number of their cattle to about 6,000 head. They 
produce enough feed during the growing season to 
feed their cattle through the winters. Their ranches 
are well improved and they have about 4,000 acres 
of irrigated lands. About twenty years ago they 
purchased from George Morgan, of the Wyoming 
Hereford Cattle Co., three head of Hereford bulls, 
paying $1,000 for the trio. These were calves and 
the buyers did not have much luck with them. At this 
time their herd was mostly Shorthorns, bred up from 
Texas stock. In spite of the fact that they did not 
have much success with the first Hereford bulls pur- 
chased they have continued to use them until their 
entire herd has become as thoroughly marked as if 
registered. 



768 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Tliey corroborate the general testimony to the 
effect that "white faces" stand the winter better 
than other cattle and are better rustlers. They report 
that the weights of their cattle have increased since 
the early days due to the fact that the Texas blood 
has been entirely eliminated. Bulls are put in serv- 
ice at the age of eighteen to thirty months, four or 
five to the hundred cows. In addition to their rang© 
herd they have about 600 head of registered cows. 
From these they produce their own bulls and sell a 
large number yearly. These cattle are fed the greater 
part of the year, the calves and yearlings receiving 
grain as well as hay. For several years they have 
been following the system known as "hand breed- 
ing," but have recently gone back to breeding in pas- 
tures on account of the small percentage of calves 
that they have been getting by the former method. 

While adhering to the Herefords for range use the 
Careys say : 

"We have studied the matter for a good many 
years on small farms, and believe Shorthorn cattle 
are the best on such places. They mature more 
quickly. However, the Herefords are hardier and 
better where it is not possible to give cattle every 
care." 

The LS Cattle.— The late Lucien Scott of Leav- 
enworth, Kans., was an enthusiastic advocate of 
the Hereford for range purposes. In connection 
with Mr. W. M. D. Lee he maintained for many 
years near Tascosa, Tex., in the Panhandle country, 
an extensive ranch upon which the famous LS 
brand was developed. As high as 35,000 head of 
cattle were at one time maintained. 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 769 

This land, consisting of 180,000 acres, was located 
in the Panhandle country and in Oldham and Potter 
counties. In 1888 Mr. Scott and Mr. Lee dissolved 
partnership, Mr. Scott purchasing Mr. Lee's interest 
and continuing the ranch under the same name. At 
Leavenworth, Kans., he had a farm called Ridgewood 
which he maintained for the breeding of fine cattle of 
pure Hereford strains. The young bulls from that 
farm were sent from time to time to the LS Ranch 
and in that way, and by culling out the poorer of the 
bulls on the ranch, the herd was gradually improved. 

Mr. Scott died in 1893 and left his property to his 
widow Julia II. Scott. She left the management of 
the ranch in the hands of her brother Charles N. 
Whitman, a practical cattleman who was much im- 
bued with the idea of breeding a finer grade of cattle. 
They gradually acquired more land until they had 
204,000 acres, all in fee simple and all fenced in. 
The Ridgewood herd had in the meantime been en- 
larged and improved by the constant purchase of 
good registered animals. An increasing number of 
the pedigree bulls were sent each year to the LS 
Ranch either from the farm or by purchases, until in 
more recent years nothing but purebred bulls were 
used. In 1897 Mrs. Scott transferred one-half the 
poperty to Charles N. Whitman and in 1899 she sold 
him the remaining other half. Late in the year 1899 
Mr. Wliitman died and his widow, Mrs. Whitman, 
continued the business until 1907, when she sold the 
entire property to Edward F. Swift of Chicago. The 
LS Ranch, recently divided and sold, was a breeding 



770 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ranch solely, the young steers being sold at one and 
two years old, when their fine quality with uniform 
color and white faces commanded at all times the 
top prices. They were frequently exhibited and a 
great many prizes were won at the Chicago, Kan- 
sas City and Fort Worth shows. 

Mrs. Whitman,* now Mrs. F. H. Kreismann of St. 
Louis, bears this testimony as to the good results 
following the use of the Hereford bulls in the Tas- 
cosa herd: 

''As is well known the Hereford blood has always 
been very prepotent and the greater percentage of 
calves bred from purebred bulls and off-colored 
cows will be white-faced. But again, as the quality 
of the cattle on the ranch became finer and finer 
they lost some of the hardihood of the Texas rang- 
ers, and more care in the way of feed and shelter 
had to be given them. But this extra outlay and 
expense was more than made up by the much greater 
price which the young stock commanded. By selling 
off every year as many of the off-colored and in- 
ferior cows as possible without reducing the herd 
too much, and keeping for breeding purposes only 
such young heifers as markedly showed the Here- 
ford strain, the herd in a few years was so much im- 
proved and so decidedly 'Hereford' that it became 
one of the show herds of the Texas Panhandle." 



*Mrs. Whitman, a woman of hi^h intelligence, had a deep 
personal interest in cattle-breeding-. For a number of years she 
was frequently seen at the leading cattle sales and shows, often 
finding- upon these occasions a congenial spirit in Mrs. Kate 
Wilder Cross, widow of C. S. Cross of Sunny Slope Farm, Em- 
poria, Kans. 

Speaking of the quality of the bulls bought for service on 
this ranch. John Gosling writes: "During the time of Mrs. Whit- 
man's ownership I furnished her ranch with as many as eighty 
bulls in a season, which included in three consecutive years the 
entire crop by the famous bull Painter, a son of Beau Brummel. 
Painter was owned by W. W. Gray, Fayette, Mo., and later by 
Mr. Robert H. Hazlett of Eldorado, in whose hands he finished 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 771 

The Matador Land and Cattle Co. — This corpo- 
ration, one of the largest in the west, was organized 
in 1882, and its holdings are now reputed to be 
worth around $6,000,000, under the management of 
John McBain. It began operations by purchasing 
between 300,0000 and 350,000 acres of land, and 
from time to time added to this until now it has 
two divisions, one of about 500,000 acres and the 
other comprising over 250,000 acres, both in the 
'* breaks" of the plains and mostly rough country. 
Both ranches are well improved. Besides this the 
company has on lease about 450,000 acres in Dakota 
and 150,000 acres in Canada. 

The original herd consisted of about 40,000 head 
of cattle but from year to year it was increased 
until in 1891, when Mr. Murdo Mackenzie became 
manager, it had about 65,000 head, the maximum 
herd during Mr. Mackenzie's administration being 
about 70,000 head. The cattle originally purchased 
by the company were of the ordinary type prevail- 
ing at that time in southern Texas, and were driven 
from that section to the Matador range by A. M. 
Britton and Henry Campbell. Later on the com- 
pany purchased from 8,000 to 10,000 cattle from Mr. 
Chisholm in the Pecos Valley. These cattle were 
to some extent graded up by the infusion of Short- 
horn, blood, but were not by any means what would 
be considered good cattle today. Up to 1891 there 

his career with pronounced successful results. Indeed the sons 
of Painter had much to do with the prowess of the LS calves 
when exhibited at the Kansas City Royal ten and twelve years 
agro, and attracted the attention of Landrigan Bros., then at 
Eureka, Kans., who leased some 90,000 acres of the LS Ranch." 



772 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

had been some attempt at improving the herd, but 
this had been tried by the use of grade ])ulls. Some 
of the bulls used were purchased in Kansas, but the 
majority of them were raised from the herd itself. 
By this method there must of necessity have been 
considerable in-breeding, and in any event there 
could not have been much progress made in the way 
of grading up from such a foundation by continu- 
ing this policy. On taking charge of the property 
Mr. Mackenzie came to the conclusion that in order 
to obtain the best results some radical changes had 
to be made, first, in the kind of bulls used, and sec- 
ond, by culling out all inferior cows undesirable for 
breeding purposes. 

In the old days the Matador sold practically all 
its steer cattle as two-year-olds to buyers from Da- 
kota, Montana and Wyoming, and the prices 
realized were not sufficient to pay the cost of pro- 
duction. It was decided that something must be 
done to raise the grade of the cattle to a point 
where they would be in demand by the Kansas and 
Missouri feeders. To attain such a standard not 
only would the inferior cows have to be culled out, 
but a different type of bull would have to be used. 
Yet to carry out this plan required considerable 
money, and at that time money with cattlemen was 
not as plentiful as it is today. Few had as yet at- 
tempted to use purebred bulls on the open ranges 
of the Panhandle or in large pastures, and the ac- 
cepted idea was that if a herd of cows was brought 
up beyond a certain grade their reproductive quail- 




Copyright photo by Erwin E. Smith 
A SECTION OF THE MATADOR HEADQUARTERS. 




Copyright photo by Erwin E. Smith 
JUDGE H. H. CAMPBELL, WHO ORIGINALLY LOCATED AND ESTAB- 
LISHED THE MATADOR RANCH. 



774 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ties on the range would be impaired. Referring to 
this situation, Mr. Mackenzie says : 

''I realized that several important changes must 
be made to put the company on a paying basis, that 
instead of selling off our fat cows we should dispose 
of those undesirable for breeding purposes, and 
that we must supply the herd with purebred bulls 
exclusively. It took several years to accomplish 
this because the purchase price of the bulls, as well 
as the running expenses of the company, had to be 
paid from the revenue derived from the annual 
sales of cattle. Furthermore, I suggested that in- 
stead of selling our two-year-old steers to northern 
buyers we adopt the plan of sending all our steer 
cattle to northern ranges of our own and holding 
them there for two years and then sending them to 
the Chicago market. This policy has been carried 
out by the company since that time. ' ' 

Manager Mackenzie Discards Grade Bulls. — At 
the' time that Mr. Mackenzie took hold of the Mata- 
dor company there were a few Hereford grade bulls 
being used in the herd, and not first-class ones at 
that, the balance being Shorthorn grades and a few 
Aberdeen- Angus. The Hereford was not altogether 
yet in favor at that date, many claiming that the 
produce was smaller both in bone and size than the 
cross by the Shorthorn. This was undoubtedly the 
truth in certain instances, but was explained, in part 
at least, by the fact that many of the so-called Here- 
fords in use were only grades and in other cases 
were very inferior specimens of purebreds. Accord- 
ingly it was decided to change the policy — instead of 
using grades to breed from purebreds only. 

The first pedigree Hereford bulls l)ought for the 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 775 

purebred herd wliicli was then started at the Mata- 
dor headquarters were obtained from Fowler & 
Tod of Maple Hill, Kans., about 1892. About the 
same time other purebred Hereford and some 
Shorthorn bulls were purchased in Colorado, Kan- 
sas and Missouri for the main Matador herd, which 
consisted mainly of Texas cows. This resort to 
purebreds proved successful, cattle of good con- 
formation and first-class quality being obtained. 
Another interesting fact which developed was that 
the accepted idea that cattle highly-bred necessarily 
become unproductive was erroneous ; no difference 
whatever was observable in that particular. As an 
illustration of this, from 100 purebred cows in a 
pasture where the cattle had nothing but the grass 
they gathered a calf crop of 99 per cent was one 
year recorded, and this statement can be verified 
from the record of the branding in the company's 
office at Trinidad. 

A Purebred Herd Established. — Mr. Mackenzie 
states that early in his experience in Texas he found 
that to supply such a large herd of cows as the Mat- 
adors with a sufficient number of purebred bulls 
would be a very expensive process, so he adopted 
the policy of buying purebred cows and holding 
them on the range for the purpose of breeding at 
least a part of the bulls required. In this he was 
successful. He says : 

' ' If the Hereford cow is supplied with a sufficient 
amount of grass she will produce a calf as regularly 
as the cows on Missouri and Iowa pastures, and at 
four years old the bull is just as large and of as 



776 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

good conformation and quality as any you will find 
in the grain-growing states. All that is required is 
care and the culling out of the cows undesirable for 
breeding, but not only is this care required on the 
range, but it is required on the farm as well, if one 
expects to get the best results. I do not wish the 
breeders of other purebred cattle to feel that I have 
any prejudice against the other breeds ; all breeds to 
my mind are good in their own place, but in large 
pastures where cattle have to hustle for themselves 
I have no hesitation in stating that my experience 
has been that the Hereford has it over them all." 

The Matador management has had a marked 
predilection for the Anxiety l^lood when obtainable. 
From $100 to $250 was paid for bulls to be used on 
the range, and as high as $1,000 for bulls for the 
purebred herd. Ordinarily about 150 purebred bulls 
were raised each year for use in the herd. These 
were reared in the usual range way, although usually 
placed in an extra good pasture and fed a little dur- 
ing the winter months. The bulls are turned out 
when two years old, and the aim is to run four bulls 
to every hundred cows. 

*'In this enlightened age," says Mr. Mackenzie, 
'' everybody knows that Herefords cannot be 
equaled as range animals, and we have found that 
tlie nearer purebred they are the lietter they do. 
Many think that the continuous use of Hereford 
blood makes cattle small and with poor hindquar- 
ters. We find this not to be the case where reall}? 
good northern bulls are used on snfficiont range. 
In order that the Herefords do well during the year 
round they should have at least 15 acres to every 




MTTRDO MACKENZIE. 



778 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

head with a plentiful supply of water at distances 
not greater than four miles between watering 
places." 

Tod of Maple Hill. — Prominent among the success- 
ful cattlemen of the trans-Missouri country is W. J. 
Tod of Maple Hill, Kans. Experienced in all the 
varying conditions met with upon the range, as well 
as in the f eedlots of the middle west, a familiar figure 
at all our leading shows and markets, his experience 
with the Herefords in connection with Mr. Fowler 
cannot fail to be of interest. 

Mr. Tod originally came out from Scotland and 
was for several years with the Prairie Cattle Co., 
but subsequently formed a partnership with Mr. 
George Fowler of the Fowler Packing Co. In the 
year 1884 they imported from England a few pure- 
bred Hereford cows, a few Shorthorn cows, one or 
two Shorthorn bulls and a large number of Hereford 
bulls, with a view to using the bulls chiefly on grade 
cows. During the dull years of 1889, 1890 and 1891 
they disposed of these purebreds and a few years 
later started a herd of grade cows in northern New 
Mexico using Hereford bulls exclusively. These cows 
were ordinary Colorado range-bred cows, with the 
exception of a few practically purebred Herefords. 
They continued using Hereford bulls in this herd 
until it was closed out on account of the land being 
acquired at a price so high that it was thought it 
could not longer be held profitably. The bulls bought 
were chiefly of Gudgell & Simpson breeding, and Mr. 
Tod was careful to buy no bull which was not strong- 




W. J. TOD OF MAPLE HILL. 



780 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ly ' 'Anxiety-bred. ' ' The result in the herd was most 
pronounced, and the improvement in quality, feeding 
capabilities, style and size most marked. 

''From long experience," says Mr. Tod, "we 
have found' that in a range country the Shorthorns 
have not the constitution nor the rustling qualities 
that we get in the Herefords. We had not only a 
better calf crop with the Herefords, but they stood 
the winter with less feed in better condition than the 
Shorthorns, and they are undoubtedly better grazers. 
Now that baby beef is so much in demand we have 
found that there is no breed of cattle that equals the 
Hereford in capability of becoming prime fat as 
yearlings, but it of course must be clearly under- 
stood that we feed in a manner in the rough. None 
of our cattle are stabled, nor have we sheds. The 
only shelter we have is the timl)er. These are the 
conditions we have to contend with, and we have 
found the Hereford equal to them." 

While the herd in New Mexico was maintained 
from 1,000 to 1,200 head were l)randed annually, and 
about 3,000 steers, a year were fed in Kansas. The 
greater number of these were purchased in the Pan- 
handle and in southern Colorado. The range in New 
Mexico contained about 60,000 acres of fenced land. 
No young cattle were sold, everything disposed of 
being fed off in Kansas, and marketed chiefly in Kan- 
sas City, with occasional shipinents to Chicago and 
St. Joseph. 

The New Mexico ranch was located in the northern 
part of the state and the quality of the grama and 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 781 

other grasses was excellent. Some alfalfa hay was 
used, and the calves had hay and a little cottonseed 
dnring the first winter. The cows, however, got only 
what the range produced. Having a small range it 
was considered best to keep the bulls only two years, 
and as the yearling heifers were never bred there 
was no chance of in-breeding. High-class bulls were 
bought and turned on tlie range at two years of age, 
allowing four to 100 cows. At four years old these 
were sold to some of the large ranchers in the west, 
and there was no trouble whatever in disposing of 
them. Indeed there was recorded a very active in- 
quir}^ It is the judgment of Mr. Tod that there are 
few cattle handled and fed in the rough capable of 
making as fine-finished, high-class, high-priced beef 
at one or two years old as well as Herefords. 

As proof of the excellence that can be attained by 
the use of pedigree Hereford bulls with ordinary 
range cows Fowler & Tod showed at the Interna- 
tional Live Stock Exposition, Chicago, in 1905, a car- 
load of calves, a carload of yearlings, a carload of 
two-year-olds and a carload of tliree-year-olds. 
These four carloads of cattle took three first pre- 
miums and one second in their 'respective classes. 
They were also the champion Herefords, and the 
three-year-olds were the champion three-year-olds 
over all breeds. These cattle were all from the same 
range, and tliis record was duplicated exactly when 
four carloads from the same herd were shown at 
Chicago in 1909. 

Some years later the same firm showed a carload 



782 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of fat cattle and a carload of feeder cattle from the 
same herd at the Kansas City Eoyal Show, and both 
of these were grand champions in their respective 
divisions. Inasmuch as these cattle were handled 
on the range nntil they were put on feed in Kansas 
the results demonstrate conclusively what can be 
done by the careful selection of Hereford bulls to 
place on good range cows. 

The Swensons. — Few brands of Texas cattle are 
better known or in higher repute than the SMS. 
The Swenson Bros., of New York City, owners of 
an enormous property in Jones and five other coun- 
ties, at one time ran 55,000 head of cattle. That 
was when they owned the Spur cattle as well as the 
SMS herd. They have been selling largely of their 
lands in recent years, but still manage 400,000 acres 
— 250,000 acres of their own and a lease of the 150,- 
000 acres of the Spur property, all under wire fence. 
At this writing they are probably running about 
22,000 cattle exclusive of calves, of which they had 
in 1913 about 10,000 head. 

The first registered Hereford bulls taken to the 
Swenson Ranch were bought from Fowler & Van- 
Natta in 1884, and they were bred upon a small 
herd of cross-bred Hereford and Shorthorn heifers, 
and the bulls from that herd were in turn bred on 
the SMS main herd which was made up of native, 
but well selected, Texas cattle. The first Hereford 
bulls used on the Spur range were introduced the 
same year by manager C. L. Goff from 0. H. Nelson 's. 

Speaking of the foundation of the SMS cattle 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 783 

manager Frank S. Hastings says that the early 
heifers in the herd were carefully selected native 
cattle, and these were crossed with bulls from an 
unregistered herd that had been bred up from cross- 
bred Shorthorn-Hereford heifers mated with regis- 
tered Fowler & VanNatta bulls. This unregistered 
herd was probably a little stronger in Shorthorn than 
Hereford blood originally, but it has been persistent- 
ly crossed with registered Hereford bulls and now 
consists of about 1,400 cows which will show an un- 
dercurrent of only about 5 per cent Shorthorn. This 
is distinctly a *' white face" herd, and probably no 
herd in the west carries a wider range of Hereford 
blood. It has had the service of more than fifty head 
of imported registered Hereford bulls, it has drawn 
from the Fowler & VanNatta herd, it has had several 
drafts from the Armour herd and several shipments 
from the Gudgell & Simpson, the Dr. James A. Lo- 
gan and other good herds. In recent years it has 
had drafts from some of the best Texas herds, 
added to which there has been a '' throw-in" each 
year from a registered herd of the ranch. These 
registered bulls after a service of two years are 
thrown into the main herd and scattered over the 
various ranches. 

With this unregistered herd as a bull basis the 
native type in the main herd soon disappeared, and 
when Mr. Hastings took charge in 1902 it was dis- 
tinctly a high-grade Hereford herd, but with some 
weeds in it. A pruning process has continued al- 
most to the point of extravagance ever since, until 




FRANK S, HASTINGS. 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 785 

today out of 16,000 breeding cows the nearest ap- 
proach to an off-color is something spotted showing 
the result of the Shorthorn-Hereford cross. Fig- 
ured out in the way of fractions the commercial 
herd which for ten years has been sending all of its 
progeny to cornbelt feedlots with good records l)oth 
there and in the showrings will show within a frac- 
tion of 99 99/100 per cent purebred Hereford. 

A strong bull tally is a part of the Swenson pol- 
icy, one aged bull to sixteen cows, and in addition to 
that all the bulls whether of their own raising or 
purchased are turned out in their yearling period, 
though not counted in the breeding complement. 
Naturally they sire a few calves, but in the main the 
benefit of turning them out is to acquaint them 
thoroughly with the range and to get them accli- 
mated and so give them a usefulness that cannot be 
ol)tained in any other way. 

Yearling heifers are not lired at all. The entire 
yearling crop is pruned 10 per cent every season 
and that cut is sent to the block. The Swensons con- 
sider that this early pruning before maturity with 
a careful subsequent culling as development may 
suggest, leaves a uniformity of type which could not 
be ol)tained by waiting until the cows had served 
tlieir period of usefulness before pruning. The av- 
erage winter loss on the ranch, or the average loss 
from all causes for twelve months, is about 5 per 
cent. 

The Swensons bought the entire Spur property, 
l)ut never mixed the Spur herd with the SMS and 



786 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

later sold the entire Spur head to W. J. Lewis. 
Asked for a summary of his reasons for preferring 
Hereford blood for range purposes Mr. Hastings 
says : 

**The Hereford has been the redeemer of the 
range on account of his hustling ability, capacity 
for taking care of himself under adverse circum- 
stances and general adaptability to large pasture 
work. ' ' 

The largest investment for improvements on the 
SMS property has been for water, over $100,000, 
but the greatest expense item has been for the ex- 
termination of prairie dogs, the sum of $50,000 hav- 
ing been successfully expended to rid the big pas- 
tures of *'dogs. " 

Calves for the Cornbelt.. — Beginning about 1904 
the Swensons began selling their 3'oungsters to 
cornbelt feeders, and many a great load of "white 
faces" bearing their brand has graced the pens 
of leading shows and markets. In 1912 they deliv- 
ered 5,000 head to the cornbelt, and not a single 
buyer was present to receive his cattle. "With the 
exception of one man who wrote that he thought the 
calves a little young," says Mr. Hastings, "we had 
a clean sweep of voluntary letters expressing abso- 
lute satisfaction with the cattle. In fact, our busi- 
ness is up to a place now where we cannot half sup- 
ply the demand for the cattle, and we grade them 
just as one would grade sacks of granulated sugar, 
that is, our standard has been established and we 
are able to sell them by correspondence with uni- 
versal satisfaction." 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 787 

Richards & Comstock. — This firm, at one time very 
prominent in Nel)raska, running as high as 70,000 
cattle, bought its first Hereford bulls in 1882, a por- 
tion of them coming from T. L. Miller. The cow 
herd at that time consisted of native Montanas. 
Richards & Comstock were pleased with the Here- 
ford cross, and used for the most part Hereford bulls 
ever after. It was their opinion that continued cross- 
ing from Hereford bulls would not tend to increase 
the weight, but was apt to decrease it. They admired 
tlie Herefords, however, as "hardy, producing good 
colors and giving the best cross for market pur- 
poses." 

Richards & Comstock testified that their outlet va- 
ried, according to grass and market conditions. Some 
years ago they only produced feeders, while again 
they had good beef. For their feeders they found a 
market in Omaha, for good beef they favored Chi- 
cago. They secured their bulls from various breed- 
ers in Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, paying 
for them at different times from $75 to $200 per head. 
They never attempted to raise the bulls required for 
the herd. They preferred two-year-olds and allowed 
twenty to twenty-five cows per bull. In selecting 
Hereford bulls for breeding on the ranch they always 
aimed to select those that were inclined to be a little 
coarse and rough, rather than those that were fine 
in the bone. Their experience was that they had to 
constantly be on their guard lest they get their cattle 
''too fine." 

Big Horn Land and Cattle Co. — This company, 
controlling property valued at approximately $750,- 



788 A HISTORY OP IIEREPORD CATTLE 

000, has 18,000 acres of patented land, all under 
fence. Manager William Marr had his earliest ex- 
perience with Hereford cattle in North Park, Lari- 
mer Co., Colo., beginning in 1880, and in a letter 
written to the author several years ago testified as 
follows : 

"I have used several hundred Hereford bulls and 
have at present Ijetween thirty and forty, the bal- 
ance being Shorthorns. I think the Hereford a good 
cross on big strong rough cows, but no better than 
a Shorthorn, in fact, I do not think as good on a well 
bred smooth bunch of cows. It is my experience 
that Hereford bulls have made their greatest suc- 
cess on the range and elsewhere when the cow herds 
had been previously more or less improved by the 
use of Shorthorn blood. The best cross on the 
Texas cow was the Shorthorn, afterwards the Here- 
ford; the latter seemed to smooth them up and give 
them a uniform color. It has been my experience 
that with continuous use of Hereford bulls my cat- 
tle got to weigh less, and for the past six or seven 
years I have been using as many Shorthorn bulls as 
Herefords, and am getting more size and weight. 

''In my neighborhood the Hereford has been 
pushed more than the Shorthorn by the owners of 
purebred herds. There were no purebred Short- 
horn herds, and the Hereford did well on the coarse 
western cows. They are good rustlers, and on cows 
with no particular breeding they would get a calf 
with a white face. My idea of an animal for the 
range is a cross between the Shorthorn and Here- 
ford, and if I was starting a herd again I would get 
Shorthorn cows and Hereford bulls." 

The Sparks Herd. — The large and lirst-class 
Alamo herd maintained for so manv vears by the 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 789 

late Governor John Sparks of Reno, Nev., probably 
supplied more good Hereford bulls to the ranchmen 
of California than any other one herd. Otfshoots 
from the Alamo were numerous, one of them being 
the herd of Whitaker & Ray, of Gault, and another 
the Jacks herd at Salinas. Joseph Marsden of Love- 
locks, Nev., maintained a Hereford herd for many 
years, and upon his retiring from business this was 
taken over by a company at Newman, Cal., the herd 
being successfully maintained at a high standard. 

From the Sparks herd also was obtained the 
foundation Herefords for the Fred H. Bixby cattle, 
running in southern California and Arizona. Mr. 
Bixby has used both the Hereford and the Short- 
horn blood, and believes that a cross of those bloods 
constitutes the ideal animal. He is partial to the 
Hereford, however, and gives four reasons for his 
preference : 

''First, the Hereford is the tirst to fatten; second, 
the Hereford is a better rustler ; third, the Hereford 
can stand more hardship; fourth, the Hereford as a 
rule has a better loin." 

Continental Land and Cattle Co. — Col. William 
E. Hughes of Denver, chief owner of the ''Mill 
Iron" cattle, one of the important Texas herds, had 
his first experience with Herefords about 1895 in 
Collingsworth Co., Tex., and has used the blood 
ever since. Some years ago he purchased 500 un- 
registered Hereford heifers from the Adair herd in 
the Panhandle of Texas, bred up from the well 
known Palo Duro foundation of Shorthorn cows 
mated to Hereford bulls. The Continental company 
has continued to breed these cattle and their off- 



790 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

spring to registered Hereford bulls bought in Mis- 
souri, Iowa and Kansas. 

During the same time and in the same country 
the company has bred an equal number of the same 
class of cows to registered Shorthorn bulls. Col. 
Hughes gives it as his experience that there is no 
great difference in the progeny, but ''if there is a 
difference, it is in favor of the Hereford." In 1906 
he exhibited both kinds of cattle at the International 
show, winning first prizes on both in their classes. 
"These yearlings," he says, " had an equal chance 
in feed, range and breed." The Shorthorns aver- 
aged 1,150 pounds and the Herefords 1,077 pounds, 
the former bringing $8.35 and the latter $9.75 per 
cwt. on the December, 1906, market. 

While Col. Hughes inclines to the opinion that 
the Hereford bull is the best ranger and rustler he 
says that "it is generally understood that Hereford 
bulls have made their greatest success on the range 
when the cow herds had previously more or less 
Shorthorn blood in them. This is my experience." 
He also adds: "I think, however, if the Hereford 
breeding is kept up for any great length of time 
there is a loss in weight and size. The Herefords 
are inclined to get too peaked and light behind. 
This is obviated by occasional crossing back to the 
Shorthorn, getting a square rump. The Herefords 
are generally preferred in the range country be- 
cause they are less sluggish than the Shorthorns 
and are better rustlers and rangers." 

The Marcus Daly Outfit. — Manager P. J. Shan- 




Copyright photo by Stlmson 
ON THE WALLUP RANCH, SHERIDAN CO., WYOMING. 




Copyriuht photo by Stlmson 
THE MONCRIEFFE RANCH. SHERIDAN CO., WYOMING. 



792 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

noil of tills Montana property lias been using Here- 
ford bulls for the past ten years on the range cows, 
and considers them the very best available for that 
purpose. He is of the opinion that the Hereford 
l)ulls have made their greatest success on the range 
when the cow herds had previously been more or 
less improved by the use of Shorthorn blood, and 
agrees with the view that ''continued use of the 
Hereford tends to loss of size, particularly in the 
hindquarters of the animal." To counteract this 
he intended to change to Shorthorn bulls in the sea- 
son of 1913 and use them for a few years, then re- 
turning to the Hereford. He adds : 

"Our main reason for preferring the Herefords 
is that they are the best rustlers and will make a 
living and breed well in a poor rough mountain 
range such as we have here." 

The Bell Ranch.— Mr. C. M. 'Donel, manager of 
the Bell Ranch owned by the Red River Valley Co., 
in San Miguel Co., N. M., had' his first experience 
with the Herefords in the Texas Panhandle shortly 
after Goodnight started at Palo Duro. He is an- 
other one of those who while admiring the hardiness 
of the Hereford still has a warm spot in his heart 
for the Shorthorn. In response to a letter of in- 
quiry from the author, Mr. 'Donel writes: 

'"While I have never bred purebred Herefords I 
have used and seen them used on range cows exten- 
sively for the last tAventy-five years. For the past 
nine years I have had from 300 to 500 white-faced 
bulls at a time on this range. Comparing the Here- 
ford with the Shorthorn bull for range purposes, its 
advantages are: (1) undoubtedly superior thrift 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 793 

under adverse conditions, which I attribute as much 
to his placid and equable temperament as to his 
compact and easily nourished frame; (2) his gen- 
erally superior coat; (3) his popularity with steer 
buyers, though this is less marked in recent years. 
His disadvantages are: (1) a want of scale; (2) less 
breeding activity when young (this latter is, I be- 
lieve, not generally acknowledged, but I am con- 
vinced of its correctness, although it is partly com- 
pensated for by the superior condition that the 
Hereford maintains in consequence of that fact) ; 
(3) a weight of horn and lightness and angularity 
of hindquarter which is not well calculated to re- 
move these same defects from the native cattle of 
the southwest. 

''The popularity of the Hereford on the range is 
due undoubtedly to his conspicuous, uniform and 
attractive coloring which proclaims the blood even 
to the most inexperienced. At the time of the first 
introduction there was excessive mortality among 
the Shorthorn bulls, and while the Hereford is gen- 
erally regarded as having saved the situation, his 
breed sometimes receives the credit for survival 
which was really due to more judicious stocking of 
the ranges. I do not know of any range herd in the 
front rank as regards quality that has been pro- 
duced by the use of Hereford bulls alone on the na- 
tive scrub cow. I am convinced that there is a 
tendency where one Hereford cross is followed by 
another for a long period towards some loss in size 
and weight. This might perhaps be avoided by the 
careful selection of Herefords of large frame. The 
obvious remedy for this is the use of a Shorthorn 
cross. The exclusive use of Shorthorns has its 
drawbacks also. Nevertheless, I am free to confess 
that I do not believe that Herefords can ever be dis- 
pensed with on the range. ' ' 



794 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

This frank statement from a man who is very 
partial to Shorthorn blood perhaj^s carries quite as 
much weight as some of the more enthusiastic 
praises bestowed upon the Herefords by their spe- 
cial advocates. 

Governor McDonald's Evidence. — Hon. W. C. 
McDonald, at this writing Governor of the state of 
New Mexico, in his capacity as manager of two 
ranches and live stock companies, adds his expression 
of appreciation of the Herefords as being the best 
''doers" on short range. He manages properties 
aggregating perhaps 1,000,000 acres — mostly roll- 
ing land along the foot of the mountains, where the 
grass is principally grama. The ranges are now 
well equipped with windmills and gas engines, al- 
though not much of the land is as yet fenced. The 
cow herds were originally grade Shorthorns, and the 
first Hereford bulls came from the Richards stock 
at Watrous, N. M. Since these bulls have been used 
the Governor states that the cattle have increased 
in weight. A few Shorthorns have usually been 
kept, however, along with the ''white faces." In 
more recent years the bulls have been bought in 
Kansas, Missouri and Texas. 

George W. Baker. — Another New Mexico ranch- 
man, Mr. George W. Baker, of Folsom, who is now 
running about 600 cows and has had at various 
times as many as 1,500, operates a 10,000-acre 
ranch under fence with plenty of water and good 
corrals. Most of the land is rough and broken, 
carrying wild grass, mostly grama. He puts up 




Copyright photo by Erwin E. Smith 
'OX THE TRAIL THAT LED NOT BACKWARD." 




Copyright photo by McClure 
A PRIZE WINNING BUNCH OF HEREFORDS ON THE RANGE. 



796 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

300 tons of alfalfa annually. His first Herefords 
came from C. A. Stannard, who bought the Sunny 
Slope herd, originally made famous by the late 
Charles S. Cross, and began breeding them to cows 
that were grade Herefords with a Shorthorn cross. 
He has used Herefords continuously since, and 
states that his cattle have increased in weight. He 
believes the Hereford to be the hardiest and most 
prolific sire, and that his use results in more uni- 
form cattle. All of Mr. Baker's bulls are bought 
from other herds. After relating his experience, 
which has been favorable to the Hereford, Mr. 
Baker states : 

''Breeding cattle on the range is a thing of the 
past in this country. There are a few steers still 
on the range, and some cattlemen turn their herds 
out in the summer, but they are closely herded, and 
range conditions as generally understood do not 
exist here." 

The H. G. Adams XI Ranches. — In Meade and 
Seward counties in Kansas, and in Beaver Co., 
Okla., Adams & Robert own about 36,000 acres of 
deeded land and have some 30,000 acres additional 
under lease. The property is well improved, is wa- 
tered from windmills and ponds and is situated 
about 18 miles from the Cimarron Eiver. The land 
and cattle represent holdings said to be worth at 
this time around $500,000. In addition to this Mr. 
Adams has a 7,000-acre place of his own at Maple 
Hill, Kans., where he handles and feeds steers ex- 
clusively. 

Adams & Robert began with unregistered Here- 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 797 

ford COWS and l)Oiig'lit tlieir first pedigree bulls from 
Gndgell & Simpson, using since only purebred bulls 
selected from that herd and from Armour's and 
Hazlett's. They have, therefore, a lot of the Anxiety 
blood. Their experience coincides with others who 
testify to the superior hardiness and general adapta- 
bility of the Hereford for range uses. They do not 
l)reed from bulls of their own production, prefer- 
ring to keep up fresh infusions from good sources. 
They graze their young bulls through the summer 
months, and in the winter give them ground kafir 
corn, cottonseed meal or cake, and hay. Their 
young cattle are largely sold to feeders in Kansas, 
Missouri and Illinois. 

John Z. Means. — Something like 250 sections of 
land in Jeff Davis and Culberson counties on the 
west side of the Davis Mountains and 350 sections 
north of Pecos City and lying on both sides of the 
Pecos River, well -equipped for the cattle business, 
are controlled by Mr. Means. The entire property 
is valued somewhere around $1,000,000. Replying to 
queries submitted some time since, Mr. Means wrote 
the author as follows : 

*'I own about 15,000 cattle and prefer the Here- 
fords because they are good, thrifty cattle of the type 
best adapted to this dry country. We have not had 
anything to discourage us in breeding to Hereford 
bulls, and the more we see of them the better we like 
them. While we have never bred any registered 
l)ulls, we bought twenty-nine at one time from Gov. 
John Sparks, and additional ones at different times 
from northern herds. The first 'white faces' used 
were from a Mr. Adams of Moffit, Colo., the lot con- 



798 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

sisting of two registered and thirty or more grade 
bulls. The herd upon which our first Hereford s 
were crossed was obtained from R. K. Miley of 
this state. While I have used some Shorthorn 
bulls I have preferred the Herefords ever since we 
began using them." 

Ike Pryor Prefers Herefords. — One of the best 
known Texas cattle-growers is Hon. Ike T. Pryor 
of San Antonio. He bought his first Hereford bulls 
in 1880 from Towers & Gudgell, and placed them 
on his ranch in Colorado. Thereafter he followed 
up this purchase each year with other registered 
Herefords, principally from Missouri and Kansas, 
until 1885. Between 1880 and 1884 Pryor Bros, 
bought large herds of grade Herefords in Colorado, 
as well as several lots of Shorthorns, and turned 
them on the open range in the southern part of that 
state. As already set forth in these pages the hard 
winter of 1884-85 gave the different breeds of cat- 
tle on the open range a thorough- test of ability to 
withstand the hardships incident to open range con- 
ditions. Referring to this experience Mr. Pryor 
says : 

*'At least 75 per cent of our high-bred Short- 
horn cattle died in that disastrous winter, while not 
over 25 per cent of the Herefords died — all running 
on the same range. This convinced me that the 
Hereford was the best animal a stockman could use 
for range purposes. 

''I am the owner today of a large herd of Here- 
ford cows on the Membres River in Grant Co., N. 
M. This is a mountainous range and I am using 
on this ranch exclusively registered Hereford hulls, 
because of the fact that bulls from this breed of 




Copyright photo by McClure 
BEEF STEERS IN THE RODND-UP. 




Copyright photo by McClure 
NOON-TIDE AT THE WATER HOLE. 



800 A HISTORY OF IIEREPORD CATTLE 

cattle will follow the eows to the top of high moun- 
tains, while Shorthorn bulls will remain near the 
water where feed is usually poor and of course give 
less service than the Herefords that go out in the 
mountains with the cattle. I would not think of 
changing the Herefords for any other breed of cat- 
tle. So much for the Hereford as a range animal. 

"My observation of this breed of cattle is that 
you can make them into good beef at any age from 
six months to a four-year-old. There is no animal 
superior to the Hereford for making baby beef; in 
fact, as I said before, it is possible to put liim in 
prime condition at any age up to the time lie is fully 
grown, and this is a strong point in favor of the 
Hereford, because an animal out of which one can 
create baby beef at from a year to eighteen months 
old is the popular type. The farmer can make 
choice baby beef of a Hereford at from twelve to 
eighteen months, thereby saving from one to two 
years ' time, whereas the more you feed a Shorthorn 
the more he grows, and does not seem to take on fat 
in proportion to the Hereford of the same age. I 
can, however, cite instances where one cross of a 
Shorthorn on a Hereford herd has increased their 
size for range purposes and probably did not de- 
crease their vitality." 

George H. Webster, Jr. — The Uracca Ranch, near 
Cimarron, N. M., is a property of some 80,000 acres 
of semi-mountainous land divided into summer 
ranges with an average altitude of 7,000 to 9,000 
feet and winter ranges averaging 6,000 feet above 
sea level. It is mostly in blue grama grass. Steers 
only are run on this ranch at the present time. 

Mr. Webster prefers the Herefords because of 
their superior constitutions and rustling power, 



PRO0F PILED ON PROOF 801 

but inclines to the opinion that western range cat- 
tle generally are "inclined to grow lighter where 
Hereford bulls are used exclusively." 

James A. Lockhart. — Another admirer of the 
Hereford for the west is J. A. Lockhart of Colo- 
rado, who used the Herefords first in New Mexico 
from 1888 to 1892 and in Colorado since 1892. He 
considers the Hereford the best bull to use on the 
open range in an arid country where drouth and 
short grass prevail, as in New Mexico and parts of 
Colorado. Mr. Lockhart 's firm had 15,000 stock 
cattle at one time in New Mexico. Only Texas and 
New Mexico native cow herds were maintained, 
carrying but little Shorthorn blood. 

Mr. Lockhart says that range cattle crossed re- 
peatedly with Hereford bulls "gradually grow 
smaller and with less vigorous constitutions, the 
remedy being to cross with large-boned Shorthorn 
bulls or other good cattle." Like most of his brother 
ranchmen, however, he expresses a decided pref- 
erence for the Herefords, "because they are better 
rustlers and stand grief (short grass, scarcity of 
water and long distance traveling to obtain the 
same) better than the Shorthorns." 

The C. B. Company. — Mr. Julian M. Bassett, man- 
ager of the C. B. Live Stock Co., operating in 
Crosby Co., Tex., states that his people began using 
Hereford bulls about 1900, their first purebreds be- 
ing obtained from K. B. Armour. The cows at that 
time were mixed Hereford and Shorthorn, and bulls 
of both breeds have been used since. Mr. Bassett 



802 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

states that the average weight of the cattle is about 
100 pounds more at four years old now than was the 
case twelve years ago. The company closed out its 
cow herd last year, but in the light of the experience 
of the management it is believed that if good Here- 
ford bulls are bought, and close breeding avoided, 
the cattle will not deteriorate in size. Mr. Bassett 
corroborates the testimony of others that Hereford 
bulls are better rustlers and easier kept. 

"Look for Bone, All You Can Get."— Such is the 
laconic and eminently sound advice of James Cal- 
lan of Menard Co., Tex., in the selection of Here- 
fords for use on the range. In giving us his experi- 
ence he employs the language quoted in the course 
of an admonition as follows: 

"Avoid cheap bulls. Disregard showring de- 
cisions. Look for bone, all you can get, and then it 
will be fine enough in the offspring raised under 
range conditions." 

The Callan company has a property valued (in- 
cluding cattle) at around $750,000. The two ranches 
comprise 60,000 acres of live-oak country, and the 
remainder is open. The company runs a main herd 
of 3,000 head and bought its first registered Here- 
ford bulls in 1895. . These were largely of Tom 
Clark breeding. The Callan she stock at that date 
carried both Hereford and Shorthorn blood, the lat- 
ter predominating. "White-faced bulls have been 
used ever since and the Shorthorns have been 
"cleaned up" entirely, the result being "more uni- 
formity of type and color and thriftier animals." 

Mr. Callan reports weights as 20 per cent heavier 




FROM THE SAND HILLS— A PRIZE LOAD WAS DRAWN FROM Till 






■i 



'*% 







MOUNTAIN LAKE AT TOP OP THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE— A. E, 
DE KICQLES AT "THE PARTING OF THE WATERS," 



804 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

now than with the old-time natives, but *'not heav- 
ier than the Shorthorn cross." In his experience 
the Herefords are ''far the hardiest on the range." 

Wallis Huidekoper. — Another large operator on 
the northern range is Mr. Wallis Hnidekoper, whose 
North Dakota and Montana experiences lead him to 
place a high estimate upon the Hereford. Mr. 
Huidekoper is running about $100,000 worth of cat- 
tle on a $350,000 range in Sweetwater Co., Mont., 
which comprises some 30,000 acres under fence, well 
irrigated and with modern equipment. His grazing 
is a good quality of buffalo grass on the hills and 
flats. Wild hay and alfalfa are put up for winter 
feeding. 

Mr. Huidekoper bought his first Hereford bulls 
in 1900, his cow herd at that time consisting of half- 
blood range-bred Shorthorns. He placed four suc- 
cessive crosses of Hereford bulls upon this founda- 
tion, and says that the first cross produced the best 
beef and the heaviest. Each succeeding cross re- 
sulted in a neater type with less size. Mr. Huide- 
koper has also used Galloway bulls upon Shorthorn 
cows with good satisfaction, and uses Shorthorn 
bulls on Shorthorn cows to keep up a supply of that 
blood. He nevertheless joins with a large majority 
of all leading western cattle-growers in regarding 
the Hereford's as the most valuable of all blood ele- 
ments for range purposes. He says: "They have 
the heart, they are great rustlers and they hold their 
flesh well in adversity. If you will watch a large 
bunch of mixed cattle leave the brush after a winter 
storm you will see the 'white faces' in the lead." 



806 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Making Good in Old Mexico. — E. K. Warren & 

Son, proprietors of the U — brand, own land and cat- 
tle roughly valued at around $2,750,000, including 
three ranches covering approximatel)^ 900,000 acres 
of land and carrying on an average 25,000 head of 
cattle. Their Ojitos Ranch, which is situated in 
northern Chihuahua in Old Mexico, was formerly 
owned by Lord Delaval Beresford, a brother of the 
English Admiral, Lord Charles Beresford, and is 
a noted property, all under fence with fine improve- 
ments, good springs and windmills. The Messrs. 
Warren bought it in 1909. They also own the Pala- 
tada Ranch which joins the Ojitos, and it is also well 
equipped. 

At the time of the purchase of the Ojitos the War- 
rens sent down 250 Hereford bulls and 350 head of 
purebred cows from their ranch at Bovina, Tex. 
They crossed the bulls upon cows purchased in Mex- 
ico with gratifying results, as is evidenced by the 
fact that for three years past they have sold their 
two-year-old steers at Amarillo at $44 per head, and 
their three-year-olds at $62.50, the latter being 
shipped from their Mule Shoe Ranch at Bovina. 
This bunch of cattle went to the sugar beet mills in 
Colorado in the fall of 1913 at $62.50 for the threes, 
which was near the top price for plains cattle at 
that date. They are said to make a wonderful 
growth when taken on the plains as yearlings. The 
Warrens ship all their steers and 75 per cent of 
their yearling heifers to the plains each year, keep- 
ing the other 25 per cent on the Ojitos Ranch for 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 807 

breeding. The tlire'e-year-old heifers which they 
had spayed brought $50 per head at Bovina in the 
autumn of 1913, and the two-year-olds $40 per head. 

The Warren firm owns also the 250,000-acre 
Alamo Hueco Ranch in New Mexico, which joins the 
International line and lies exactly 16 miles north of 
the north line of fence of the Ojitos in Old Mexico. 
They first began operations at Bovina in 1902, with 
the purchase of 40,000 acres of land, and later on 
added 45,000 acres more. This is what is known as 
the Mule Shoe Ranch. This land was used for 
grazing purposes only until last year, when the 
townsite of Muleshoe and 83,000 acres of land were 
sold. 

Manager C. K. "Warren says : 

''We commenced the purchase of Hereford bulls 
the first year we went into the business. In our ex- 
perience this is the only breed of cattle for ranch 
purposes, especially when cattle are handled in 
large herds, as they are the best rustlers, have 
thicker hides, carry the most uniform flesh, stand 
cold better, produce a larger percentage of calf crop 
and it takes less feed to carry them than with other 
cattle. Still we have been putting in every other 
year a few Shorthorns with good results. They 
have a little more bone and the cows give more milk 
for the calves. 

''We have now a herd of purebred Herefords in 
Michigan from which we are raising and shipping 
our registered bulls to a purebred herd, not regis- 
tered, in Mexico. Our purebred herd in Mexico 
numbers about 800 and from this we are raising 
Imlls that are used for breeding purposes both in 
Mexico and New Mexico. We have gone out of the 



808 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

breeding proposition on the plains at Bovina, and 
are simply handling our yearlings from that point. 
We take the bulls away from the herd Nov. 1 each 
year, and put them back June 15. On good pasture 
all will winter strong and fat without grain. We 
brand approximately 5,000 head of calves each 
year. ' ' 

Scale Retained Through Selection. — Just as the 
interests of the Shorthorn cattle, as bred in the 
older states, have frequently been sacrificed through 
excess of zeal on the part of their advocates, so the 
widespread popularity of the Hereford in the west 
has not been without its unfavorable effect in cer- 
tain cases upon the character of the ''white faces" 
produced under range conditions. So eager were 
herd managers to establish thoroughly the type that 
had proved so useful in their business that lack of 
care in selection of bulls led not infrequently to de- 
terioration in size. The best registered bulls were, 
except during certain years of depression, compara- 
tively high in price. Furthermore, some rangemen 
while keen judges of values of cattle en bloc were 
not formerly expert in the matter of what consti- 
tuted the cardinal points to be sought in an indi- 
vidual purebred animal. In too many cases the red 
coat and the white face seemed to be about the only 
qualifications required. Bone, size, constitution and 
correct conformation were not always appreciated 
or demanded. To this rule, however, there were of 
course many exceptions, but the owners of regis- 
tered herds in tlie older states usually outbid range- 
men for the best individual cattle. As has always 




Copyright photo by McClure 
WHITE-FACES ON A NORTHERN RANGE. 




IN ARIZONA. 



Copyright photo by Erwin E. Smith 



810 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

been the case with Shorthorns, the refuse of the 
pedigree Herefords, not to mention large numbers 
of grades, went to the range along with a certain 
percentage of good ones. Then came the often care- 
less piling of Hereford upon Hereford, with more 
or less disregard of individual excellence, within the 
same pastures and with few infusions of fresh blood. 
At this time, however, there is a very general 
appreciation of the fact that by care in the selection 
of big type bulls resort to other blood may be 
avoided. 

In-Breeding from Poor Material Fatal. — In-and- 
in-breeding, or close breeding, is the greatest po- 
tential power for good in the whole realm of animal 
breeding, but it is attended by good results only 
where the animals closely mated are of a robust and 
desirable individual character. The doubling of the 
blood of inferior or weak specimens of any breed is 
the shortest of all cuts to absolute ruin. It is apt 
to intensify faults even faster than it fixes good 
qualities. Happily, some ranchmen have been wise 
enough to diagnose this situation and avoid the pit- 
falls into which certain of their contemporaries fell. 
Such criticism as has been passed upon some of the 
range-bred Herefords as lacking in size and quality 
can in almost every case be traced not to any inher- 
ent defect in the breed, but to the application of un- 
scientific methods in the handling of the blood. 

In some cases where loss of size resulted resort 
has been had to a cross back to the Shorthorn. 
Therefore, the latter breed has in recent years been 



PROOF PILED ON PROOF 811 

regaining some of the ground it was forced to yield 
during the days of the overcrowding of the ranges 
and the appalling losses following severe winters. 
A good Shorthorn cross undoubtedly tends to re- 
store bone, scale and stretch to herds that have lost 
in weight, but it is a somewhat costly remedy and 
many owners of big herds of "white faces" hesi- 
tate about incurring the expense and taking the 
chance of disturbing an established course. These 
men are finding that by the exercise of care and 
judgment, more particularly in the matter of bone 
and scale, they can maintain a high standard of 
merit through the use of good Hereford bulls of the 
right stamp without admixture of other blood. 

The Open Range Gone. — The open range is now 
virtually a thing of the past. The fencing of the 
land and the water has put the big outfits out of 
business save in cases where they absolutely con- 
trol large and well watered tracts by purchase or 
lease. The dry-farmers and the home-seekers have 
ushered in another era in the evolution of the west, 
and other types of cattle will now undoubtedly be- 
come more numerous in that region than they have 
lieen in its recent past. At the same time there can 
be little danger of the Hereford ever losing popu- 
larity in any land where the conversion of grass into 
beef is an important business. 



CHAPTER XX. 
THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE. 

The latter day records of the Hereford in the 
central west may fairly be dated from the great 
Hereford association show and sale held at the Kan- 
sas City Stock Yards late in the autumn of 1899, as 
referred to at the conclusion of a previous chapter. 
The members of the executive committee of the 
association at that time were Charles Gudgell, 
Thomas Clark and H. H. Clough. A special ad- 
visory committee as to the details of the proposed 
show consisted of F. A. Nave, John Sparks and 
James A. Funkhouser. A big sale was also planned, 
and Tom Smith, C. A. Stannard and T. F. B. Sotham 
were named as a committee to handle it. The whole 
affair was a monumental success, no less than 541 
animals being listed in the official catalog. The 
prizelist was so extensive and was supplemented by 
so many special prizes that it is impossible to make 
detailed mention of the scores of beautifully fitted 
prize-winners. Hereford quality and enthusiasm 
was here at top notch. 

Twenty-five years of American breeding had 
brought the average merit of the show cattle up to 
the best standards set by the English-bred winners 
of the earlier western fairs. Refinement of head 

812 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 813 

and horn and improved hindquarters and thighs 
were everywhere in evidence. The west was Here- 
ford-mad, and Kansas City was the '* white-face " 
capital. The whole countryside in that territory 
was wild over the wide-backed, rich-fleshed, furry- 
haired, low-legged, American-bred Herefords which 
here presented an amazing collection of well-nigh 
perfect specimens of tlie breeder's and feeder's art. 

Dale and Armour Rose. — Mr. K. B. Armour of 
the Armour Packing Co., a leading Kansas City 
business man now keenly interested in purebred 
Herefords, gave a $400 challenge cup for the best 
bull of any age on exhibition. This was captured by 
Mr. Frank Nave, Attica, Ind., with Dale 66481. Dale 
was bred by Clem Graves of Bunker Hill, Ind., being 
sired by Columbus 51875 and out of Rose Blossom, a 
cow bred by Thomas Smith of Beecher, 111., from 
Clark's Peerless Wilton. The second dam was the 
imported cow Blossom, bred bj^ John Price and 
owned at one time by A. C. Reed of Chicago, who 
had a farm near Beecher. Blossom was by Auction- 
eer, a son of Horace 2d. Columbus was bred by G. 
W. Harness, Jr., of Galveston, Ind., and was sired 
by Earl of Shadeland 41st (by Garfield) out of Tom 
Clark's Pet (by imp. Prince Edward 7001 of Car- 
wardine's breeding). Here, then, was rich fruit 
from the great Earl & Stuart importation. 

Dale was not a bull of as much refinement as many 
of the others produced in the west about this period, 
but his feeder, James Price, had not allowed his 
charge to go hungry. Dale had Garfield's strength 




I aJas. Powell I 



Tom Andrews 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 835 

of constitution and stood up nobly to the test im- 
posed. He bad put on flesb about as thickly as a 
compactly fashioned bovine carcass ever carries, 
and shared with the heifer Armour Eose the adora- 
tion of the Hereford-worshipping multitudes that 
thronged this sensational ringside during the most 
memorable week of American Hereford history up 
to that date.* 

Armour Rose 75086 was a very perfect yearling 
heifer that had been given by Mr. Armour to the 
promoters of the Kansas City Coliseum or Conven- 
tion Hall, a large structure projected in the public 
interest, to be raffled off for the benefit of the build- 
ing fund. As the citizens were all enthusiastic over 
the project, thousands of tickets were disposed of 

*The occasional references made in these pag:es to various 
herdsmen prominently identified with Hereford breeding in the 
west should include some mention of another man whom the 
author has always held in high esteem. 

George Waters, one of the best of the old-time herdsmen, 
has had a long and successful experience. He was born on Jan. 

4, 1850, at Barton-in-Fabis near Nottingham, England, in the vale 
of the River Trent. This valley is noted for rich pastures that 
have not known the plow for many generations. Shorthorn cat- 
tle and Leicester sheep and their grades, and wonderful droves 
of fat bullocks and fat sheep have roamed those pastures. Waters' 
father was a butcher, and when George was ten years of age 
rented a farm, carrying on the butchering trade as well. 

On Feb. 3, 1870, George left Liverpool for America on the S. 

5. Nestorian of the Allan Line, landing at Portland, Me., and pro- 
ceeding direct to Montreal. Here he made a stay of one day and 
night, taking while there a sleigh ride out to the Victoria Bridge 
and crossing the St. Lawrence River where men were taking out 
ice 3 feet in thickness. Some change that, thought the young 
man, from the green pastures of the Midland counties of old Eng- 
land! Leaving Montreal he went to Guelph. He walked out to 
the F. W. Stone farm, Moreton Lodge. Henry Arkell, a native of 
Gloustershire, England, was then foreman and manager. George 
applied for ■work, and Arkell hired him for one month. When 
part of the month had passed he was engaged for the year. He 
worked here nearly four years. Waters has always regarded 
Arkell as the best manager he ever met in charge of a pedigree 
stock-breeding farm. 

From Stone's, George Waters went to Buffalo, N. Y., for one 
season, but in the spring of 1875 returned to Canada to handle 
John R. Craig's Shorthorns at Burnhamthrope, near Toronto. In 
the fall of that year Craig made a public sale of Bates cattle in 
Toronto the day following a notable Shorthorn convention, and 
Waters led into the ring 38 head of cows, heifers, bulls and calves 




DON CARLOS 33734. AS DRAWN BY RURK. 




LAMPLIGHTER 51834, AS DRAWN BT BURK. 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 817 

and the heifer was drawn by a lady resident from 
whom Mr. Armour brought her back for $1,000. Slie 
later went tlirough the sale to Gov. Sparks at $2,500, 
as we have already mentioned. She was got by 
Beau Brummel Jr. 65073, of Gudgell & Simpson 
breeding, a son of Beau Brummel 51817 out of Pe- 
tunia 6tli by Don Juan 11069. Her dam was by 
Kansas Lad 36932, he by Beau Real out of Bertha 
by Torro. Beau Brummel Jr. was by the Don Car- 
los bull Beau Brummel out of a cow by Don Juan 
by Anxiety 4th, so that Armour Rose was another 
one of the many proofs now coming forward of the 
efficacy of the in-bred Anxiety blood of that period. 
Other Notable Winners. — Dale 's chief competitors 
at Kansas City were VanNatta's Christopher, 
Sotham's Thickset, Scott & March's Hesiod 29th, W. 



that sold for $52,600. He then took charge of A. A. Crane's Here- 
fords at Osco, 111. Following- this he was with F. P. Crane's 
Herefords at Independence and Kansas City, Mo., for something 
like three years. He was also herdsman for Robert Otley, an 
old-time Shorthorn breeder, for a short time at Kewanee, 111. He 
also fed for J. H. Spears at Tallula, 111., at the time of his clos- 
ing-out sale in Dexter Park, Chicago, in the spring of 1S77, going 
next to Minneapolis to handle Col. W. S. King's Shorthorns at 
Lyndale Farm. 

In 1S80 Waters commenced work for T. L. Miller, Beecher, 
111., handling first his purebred flock of Cotswold sheep, but in 
the following May INIr. Miller decided to place his Hereford show 
steers and some young bulls on exhibition at the Union Stock 
Yards in Chicago and George was chosen to handle them. These 
were kept in the back part of a livery barn on Halsted St., op- 
posite the Transit House until Miller built his stable on Forty- 
first St. At the close of the Fat Stock Show the steer Conqueror 
was sold to "Billy" Smith of Detroit. George still thinks Con- 
queror was the best steer alive and dead he ever saw. Upon 
his return to Beeclier, Mr. Miller having sold some yearling heif- 
ers to W. S. VanNatta, "Waters made an engagement at Fowler and 
fed and showed the first Herefords brought out from the Hickory 
Grove herd — a yearling herd, two heifer calves and the imported 
bull Tregrehan. 

For many years past George has been in business on his own 
account. After farming and stock-raising at Windom, Minn., for 
twenty years, on account of tlie illness of his wife he sold out 
and is now located on the south shore of beautiful Lake Pulaski 
amongst the butternuts, oaks, hard maples, elms and basswoods. 
Here the grey and red squirrels play and scamper through the 
trees, and he "lives again in memory his boyish days in the Valley 
of the Trent. 



818 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

H. Curtice's Beau Donald, Mrs. Whitman's imp. 
Randolph, Murray Boocock's imp. Salisbury and 
other celebrities. A son of Dale called Perfection, 
that was also destined to fame, won the senior bull 
calf prize. 

Christopher drew second to Dale and was a fa- 
vorite with many for premier place on account of 
his superior breed character. He was sired by Eu- 
reka 58549, a bull of Culbertson's breeding sired by 
Kansas Lad out of The Grove Maid 22d by Grove 
3d, The dam of Christopher was Columbia, by the 
show bull Washington out of Miss Beau Real 3d by 
Beau Real. It will thus be seen that Mr. VanNatta's 
great bull was rich in the blood of good Ilerefords 
and had two lines to Beau Real. The sum of $5,000 
was refused for him during the week, and one of his 
calves, the bull Aaron, was bought at auction a few 
days later at $1,950. Sotham's Thickset, for which 
$5,000 had been declined earlier in the season, was 
third. Hesiod 29th came next and Beau Donald 
^fth. Beau Donald was in his sixth year. He had 
been bought by Mr. Curtice from H. B. Watts of 
Fayette, Mo., and was a rare stamp of a good sire — 
full of character and quality. He was by Beau 
Brummel out of Donna by Anxiety 4th, and proved 
one of the greatest sires in Hereford history. 

The female classes at this show were real revela- 
tions. From the aged cows, including Nave's Dolly 
5tli — first and champion — down to the junior calves 
the bloom and beauty of the matrons and heifers 
supplied ample proof that in the hands of the en- 




CnRlSTOPITKR 44.jC5, BRED BY \VM. S. VANXATTA & SON. 




IMP. MARCH OX 76035, FROM PALMER'S DRAWING. 



820 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

thusiastic western breeders of that clay the good ma- 
terial that had been transferred so lavishly from 
English to American pastures in the preceding years 
had been wisely utilized. Mr. Stannard was coming 
strong at Sunny Slope and had second prize in cows 
on the big Lady Matchless 2d by the Don Carlos 
bull Pride of the Clan. VanNatta's Clodia, by 
Cherry Boy out of Clover 4tli by Parmelee's Anxiety 
4th, was third. Sotham came next with Lady Charm- 
ing, by Corrector out of Cherry 24th by Cedric, of 
which cow we wrote at the time that she possesses 
''beautiful character, the sweet head and clean 
throttle that are characteristic of the Weavergrace 
cattle, and that furry coat of yellow-red hair, as mel- 
low-looking as a ripened peach, that has come to be 
the trade-mark of the Correctors." 

Tom Clark's massive Everest, by Lars out of Jes- 
sie Clark 2d by Anxiety 3d, led the two-year-olds, 
followed by Sotham 's brown-eyed beauty Benison, 
Clark's Winona, also by Lars, and Gudgell & 
Simpson's great heifer Mischievous by Lamplighter. 
Nave's Carnation, by the Shadeland bull Acrobat 
out of Erica 51st by Gartield, won in yearlings. The 
same exhibitor got first in senior heifer calves with 
Theressa by Dale. 

Nave also won the grand herd prize, with Sotham 
second, Clark third and Gudgell & Simpson fourth. 
The victorious Lidiana cattle again scored in the 
young herd competition. The produce-of-cow prize 
fell to Clark and the get-of-bull award went to 
Sotham 's Correctors. 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 821 

Excess Fat vs. Real Bloom. — "The Breeders' Ga- 
zette" special for "herd shown in best bloom" was 
sent by the Shorthorn judges who decided the con- 
test to Mr. Nave's heavily conditioned cattle with 
Dale at their head — an award which was commented 
upon at the time by the author of this volume in the 
following language : 

"The prize offered by the publishers of 'The Ga- 
zette' for herds shown in the best bloom was award- 
ed by agreement of Messrs. Leonard and Dustin to 
the lots shown by Messrs. Nave, Sotham and Clark 
in the order named. In view of the fact that 'The 
Gazette' has persistently deprecated the awarding 
of prizes in breeding rings to cattle burdened with 
excessive fat, and as this prize was offered largely 
with a view towards encouraging those who do not 
approve of extreme obesity in these contests, it had 
been generally believed by those who clearly under- 
stood our purpose that the herd headed by Dale 
would be regarded as rather too rich to receive this 
recognition. The meat of our definition of show- 
yard bloom was to be found in the clause which stip- 
ulated that there must be 'ample evidence of the 
fact that the bringing out of the beast in suitable 
showyard form has probably not threatened its 
physical well being. ' Without questioning the right 
of Mr. Nave 's thoroughly trained cattle to win in the 
regular competitions under existing standards of 
showyard judging, we do not believe that any expe- 
rienced breeder will contend that breeding cattle 
can be brought to such ripeness for the block with- 
out threatening seriously their future usefulness. 

"We have scarcely read the history of cattle- 
breeding correctly, however, if we accept a herd of 
cattle in that condition as presenting what a breeder 



822 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

should regard as bloom. We respectfully refer 
those who hold to the contrary to the history of 
Warlaby. The annals of cattle-breeding afford no 
more striking example of the deadly effects of ex- 
cessive fat to breeding stock than is afforded by the 
decline of merit and fertility of the celebrated Booth 
Shorthorn herd that once dominated the showyards 
of all Britain. To those who have given this matter 
special study there could be but little question that 
Mr. Sotham's Herefords were forwarded in a more 
practical working condition. We are aware that 
there is some difference of opinion, and a lot of mis- 
understanding as to what really constitutes bloom 
in the showring. There is evidently a considerable 
lack of information upon that subject in cattle- 
breeding circles. If, therefore, the offering of these 
prizes by 'The Gazette' at this show shall have 
served to call attention to this highly important sub- 
ject, and shall direct the thoughts of breeders and 
exhibitors towards a study of the matter of putting 
a reasonable limit upon feeding for breeding shows, 
they will have served the purpose for which they 
were provided. The question of who won and who 
lost in this particular case is wholly swallowed up 
in the broader considerations involved in the main 
proposition." 

More Money for Shows. — At the annual meeting 
of the Hereford association at Chicago on Nov. 21, 
1899, Mr. Sotham presided in the absence of Presi- 
dent K. B. Armour and was elected President for 
the succeeding year. The report of the executive 
committee was a glowing one. The tide of prosper- 
ity was flowing high. The sum of $15,000 was ap- 
propriated to be offered as prizes for Herefords at 
the shows of 1900. The Kansas Citv event was to 




JESSAMINE, BRED AND SHOWN BY THOS. CLARK.— Drawn by Throop. 





*, , .,.. < . •V.i*.!^.;i'W'rt«^; •\^<^ 



HESIOD 2D 40679, BRED BY GEO, W. HENRY AND USED BY JAS. A. 
FUNKHOUSER— Drawing by Palmer. 



824 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

be repeated, $2,000 was matched against a like 
amount to be offered by the Minnesota State Fair 
management, and $5,000 was set aside for a pro- 
posed new show at Chicago. 

The International Projected. — For some years 
leading stockmen had hoped that a truly national, 
and indeed international, exhibition might be estab- 
lished at some central point in the middle west. 
There came into this field about this time a combina- 
tion of circumstances that resulted in a realization 
of this dream. 

Arthur G. Leonard, a man of action, a man who 
deservedly had the confidence of his superior officer, 
John A. Spoor, was at the time General Manager of 
the Chicago Union Stock Yards. He had at his side 
as his general agent at this date William E. Skinner, 
a man of vision who had the confidence of American 
stockmen. The time, the place, the men and the 
money were now in conjunction. A general meeting 
was called at Chicago for Nov. 24, 1899, and was well 
attended by representatives of the various stock 
yard and stock-breeding interests. The International 
Live Stock Exposition Association was formed, and 
the first week of December, 1900, fixed as the date 
for the initial show. The committee on rules, regu- 
lations and classification consisted of Alvin H. San- 
ders, chairman; T. F. B. Sotham, representing cat- 
tle breeders; A. J. Lovejoy, representing swine 
breeders; G. Howard Davison, representing sheep 
breeders; R. B. Ogilvie, representing horse breed- 
ers, and D. 0. Lively, representing fat stock owners. 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 825 

Dawn of the Twentieth Century. — The year 1900 
came in with the general enthusiasm unabated, albeit 
an element of speculation had been creeping into the 
trade that was causing some anxiety to those who 
prefer conservative growth and moderate prices 
to so-called *' booms." 

Out in Nebraska William Humphrey was running 
1,100 head of registered Hereford cattle, the herd 
being under the management of Capt. E. C. Scarlett. 
Down at Albany, Mo., Charles G. Comstock had 
built up at his Grandview Farm "the largest Here- 
ford breeding establishment east of the Missouri 
River." Gudgell & Simpson, Funkhouser, Sotham, 
Cornish & Patten, K. B. Armour, Benton Gabbert 
& Son, Dr. Jas. E. Logan, 0. Harris, H. C. Tay- 
lor & Son, N. Kirtley, C. B. Smith, "Hamp" Watts, 
John B. Bell, Miller & Balch, T. H. Pugh, W. J. 
Boney & Son and many others were vying with one 
another in upholding the colors of the Hereford in 
the state of Missouri. Mr. Armour was bringing 
over 100 head more from England. Kansas City 
was the center of activity, for it was there that the 
corn states and the range met most frequently in 
the course of the transaction of the business of 
transferring Herefords to the ranchmen now clamor- 
ing for white-faced bulls. 

A Hereford-Shorthorn AUiance. — The executive 
committee of the Hereford association met in Chi- 
cago early in January, 1900, to plan the year's show- 
yard campaign. The directors of the Shorthorn 
association were in session at the same time. The 



826 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

latter had been so impressed by the big Hereford 
demonstration at Kansas City on the preceding No- 
vember that they decided to hold a Shorthorn show 
at the same place during the fall of 1900. This led 
to a conference with the Hereford committeemen 
which resulted in an agreement to hold both shows 
at the same time and place. This action was signifi- 
cant of the fact that the Shorthorn breeders not only 
realized the necessity for more aggressive methods 
in presenting the claims of their cattle for public 
consideration, but that they had full confidence in 
the ability of the Shorthorn exhibitors to show cattle 
of a modern type that would not suffer by close com- 
parison with the best Herefords. Both associations 
likewise agreed to get behind their respective classes 
at the new Chicago International. 

Spring Sales. — About 200 head of cattle were put 
up at auction at Kansas City on March 1, 1900, and 
brought an average of $331.80. These were from the 
herds of Stannard, Sotham, VanNatta & Son and 
Scott & March. The feature of this series was the 
offering of the show bull Thickset, generally re- 
garded as the best Sotham had ever bred, and he fell 
to the bidding of William Humphrey at $5,100. The 
Stanton Breeding Farm of Nebraska took another 
son of Corrector, Grandee, at $1,500, and Sir Come- 
well, another good son of the same bull, was taken 
by Humphrey at $1,000. Sotham 's lot of 50 head 
averaged $454.70. On March 20 and 21, 1900, Gud- 
gell & Simpson and H. H. Clough sold 99 head of 
cattle at Independence, Mo., for an average of 




BEAU BBUMMEL 51817, AS DRAWN BY BURK, 




COLUMBUS 51875, AS DRAWN BY RILLS. 



828 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

$259.15. A lot of good blood went out from this sale 
to the western ranges, Col. Torrey, John Scharbauer 
and other western men being free buyers. 

On April 25 and 26 Armour, Funkhouser, Dr. Lo- 
gan and John Sparks sold 115 head at Kansas City 
at an average of $283.50. Cattle were bought here 
for several leading range outfits including the Adair 
and Whitman herds. George Tamblyn gave $1,000 
for the imported cow Prudence. 

Death of T. L. Miller.— Although Mr. Miller's* ex- 
traordinary personal activities in behalf of the 
Herefords ceased around 1885, he nevertheless con- 
tinued to take a deep interest in their success. In 
his latter years he spent much of his time at De 
Funiak Springs, Fla., at which place he died on 
March 15, 1900. His remains were brought to Chi- 
cago for burial, and he sleeps the long sleep in the 
sylvan shades of Graceland. He had lived to see his 
faith in the white-faced cattle shared by a majority 
of all the cattle-owners on the western range and a 
tidal wave of prosperity sweeping over the Here- 
ford-breeding business of the cornbelt. 

At a meeting of the American Hereford Associa- 
tion held at Chicago in December, 1901, a resolution 
of respect to his memory was unanimously adopted, 
in the course of which the following language was 
employed : 

*In this connection it should be noted that Mr. T. E. Miller, 
son of the great western promoter of the breed, was for a num- 
ber of years identified with his father's cattle-breeding opera- 
tions at Beecher, maintaining at one time a herd of his own. He 
is now engaged in business in the city of Chicago, and the author 
hereby acknowledges his indebtedness to him for information sup- 
plied in connection with various transactions. 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 829 

*'We freely and unhesitatingly accord to liira the 
position of originator and leader in the propaganda 
of the Hereford in America; and to his enterprise 
and courage is largely due the position the Here- 
fords have attained in this country." 

Dale Sold for $7,500. — High-water mark up to that 
date in the way of prices was recorded at Chicago 
on April 17 and 18, 1900, when Mr. F. A. Nave sold 
96 head of Herefords, including his show herd, at 
the record-breaking average of $671. The champion 
Dale was taken by his breeder, Clem Graves of 
Bunker Hill, Ind., at $7,500. 0. Harris paid $3,000 
each for the young cows Theressa and Russett, 
$1,000 for the heifer calf Sister Theressa, and $1,400 
for the imported bull Bruce. William Humphrey got 
the imported bull Viscount Rupert at $3,100. Tom 
Clark paid $1,300 for Perfection. Graves gave $2,600 
for imp. Lady Help, $2,100 for Dolly 5th, and $1,600 
for Carnation. J. C. Adams, Moweaqua, 111., took 
Melley May at $1,000. 

The day following the conclusion of this sensa- 
tional event Tom C. Pouting, Moweaqua, 111., sold 
61 head at his farm for an average of $243, the young 
Corrector cow Blendress bringing $1,010 from Jesse 
Adams of Moweaqua. 

Kansas City's Dual Show of 1900.— The Here- 
ford-Shorthorn show at Kansas City under the joint 
management of the two organizations was a huge 
success. At the Hereford show of 1899 Shorthorn 
breeders of distinction had been called to place the 
prizes, but on this occasion resort was had to talent 
within the ranks. The committee to award the class 




Edward J. Taijlor 



Thos.Moriinier 



THE CREST OP ANOTHER WAVE 831 

prizes proper consisted of the veteran importer and 
breeder William Powell, W. A. Morgan of Kansas 
and W. M. Atkinson of New Mexico. 

The show was even greater than that of the year 
before, surpassing in quality anything yet seen in 
the Hereford section of any American show. In 
fact, the English Royal has probably seen no better 
show cattle than the season of 1900 developed in the 
middle west. 

In the bull classes there was a fine specimen of 
latter-day British breeding presented by ''Tom" 
Sotliam, who was a great student and close analyst of 
Hereford pedigrees. His able and intelligent herd 
manager, Edward J. Taylor,* had spent the summer 

♦Edward J. Taylor was born at Stansbatch, Herefordshire, in 
1866. His father, John Taylor, collected and sucessfuUy bred a 
very useful herd of Herefords and one of the best flocks of Shrop- 
shire sheep in the country, and as chairman of the Kington Stud 
Co. did much to improve the class of Shire horses in that section. 
John Taylor had assisted in the building- up of the famous herd 
of S. Robinson of Lynhales and he personally selected all the 
foundation females of the afterwards noted herd of R. Green of 
The Whittern. While in quest of these, and also at home, young 
Edward had the benefit of his father's advice, and sound judg- 
ment, accompanying him to such noted sales as Chadnor Court, 
The Leen, Stocktonbury, etc. In 1S76 the father removed from 
Stansbatch to Elsdon, a farm of some 400 acres adjoining Lyn- 
hales and owned by Mr. Robinson, where he remained until fail- 
ing health compelled him to relinquish business. 

"Ed" came to America in 188S, accompanying a small but 
select importation of heifers for Merrill & Fifleld of Bay City. 
Mich., and remaining in charge of their herd between three and 
four years. He afterwards became associated with the Rock- 
land herd of H. H. Clough, Elyria, O. In the spring of 1893 he 
was commissioned by Mr. Clough to return to England and im- 
port a bull and two females to augment his already formidable 
herd for the World's Fair at Chicago. Speaking of this event 
Mr. Taylor says: 

"I shall never forget the beam on Mr. Clough's countenance 
as he sized up Ancient Briton when I led him off the boat onto 
the dock in New York. He said, 'Ed, he's all right!' It was a 
proud day for both of us when he landed as champion at the 
Columbian." 

After Mr. Clough's dispersion sale Taylor went to Troy, Pa., 
and fitted a herd for George O. Holcomb, showing them success- 
fully on the eastern circuit. Mr. Goodwin, of "The Breeder's Ga- 
zette," commenting on the Hereford exhibit at the New York 
State Fair, said, in part: 

"A few years ago we remarked in a report of this fair that 



832 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of 1898 in liis native land, and acting under instruc- 
tions selected and sbipiied out to Weavergrace the 
young bull Improver 94020, of Arkwriglit's breed- 
ing, for which $1,500 was paid. He was sired by the 
Royal champion Red Cross, and was descended all- 
around from long lines of prize-winners. The bull 
was brought into competition at the Kansas City 
show with the best products of American breeding, 
and while much admired for his forward finish and 
his width and depth, he suffered somewhat by com- 
parison with the best American bulls when it came 
to a rear-end examination. Nevertheless he had met 
on the state fair circuit and defeated such redoubt- 
able champions as Dale, Christopher and Dandy Rex 
71689, Gudgell & Simpson's great son of Lamp 
lighter. But upon this occasion Dandy Rex won, 
with Improver second, Dale third and Christopher 
fourth. 

The sensational young bull of the year was the 
yearling Perfection 92891, a son of Dale, bred by 
Frank Nave and sold to Thomas Clark, by whom he 
was exhibited at this Kansas City show. Benton 
Gabbert, who bred a lot of good Herefords, includ- 
ing Columbus, the sire of Dale, had second here on 
Columbus 17th. 



Mr. George O. Holcomb needed to introduce his Herefords to corn. 
He made judicious purchiases at Shadeland, but they lacked the 
finish afforded by feed when set before the public. He has thor- 
oughly learned the lesson of showyard fitting-, and his herd as 
seen on this occasion was one of the best-fitted which has ever 
come under our review, and would rank well up in any compe- 
tition." 

In the fall of 1894 Taylor assumed the management of the 
Weavergrace herd of T. F. B. Sotham. He remained at Weaver- 
grace until 1902 when he purchased his present farm home at 
Fremont. Mich., where he still maintains a small herd of his 
favorites. 



THE CREST OP ANOTHER WAVE 833 

The cows were headed by VanNatta's Columbine 
after a hard battle against such marvels as Dolly 
5th, Benison, Dolly 2d, Everest, Mischievous and 
Lady Charming. In heifers Gudgell & Simpson 
turned out a most extraordinary lot, in all of which 
the Anxiety blood was dou])le-distilled. Such speci- 
mens as Blanche 13th, the two-year-old winner, and 
Modesty, a senior yearling winner, both by Beau 
Brummel, such heifers as Sophronisba and Dorana 
3d by Lamplighter, and above all such a wonder as 
the junior yearling winner Mischief Maker, by Mil- 
itant out of Mischievous, and Cleopatra by same 
sire, have never been surpassed in one year by any 
one establishment. When to these are added the 
heifer calves Honora 2d, Miss Caprice, Donna Ada, 
Bright Duchess 32d, Silver Lining 5th and Gipsy 
Lady, all prize-takers in this phenomenal exhibition, 
little more need be said of the success attending the 
concentration of Anxiety blood by this firm. Mis- 
chievous and' Mischief Maker were declared best 
cow-and-calf in the show. The special for best cow- 
and-two-calves was won by the same pair with Miss 
Caprice added. The special for best pair of year- 
ling bulls fell to the same herd on Patrolman and 
Donald Dhu, and the ribbon for best pair of year- 
ling heifers went to Mischief Maker and Modesty. 

Fall Sales of 1900.— During the Minnesota State 
Fair in September 117 head were sold at auction 
for an average of $188, the 53 females averaging 
$208. During the Kansas City show in October 185 
head were sold at an average of $320, Mr. Gal)- 



834 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

bert's Columbus 17tli going to Frank Rockefeller 
for $5,050. C. B. Smith paid $1,025 for the Ar- 
mour yearling heifer Saint Justina. On Nov. 9 the 
Elmendorf herd was closed out at Omaha, the 66 
head offered commanding an average of $207. On 
Dec. 11 and 12 at Kansas City Messrs. Armour and 
Funkhouser disposed of 106 head at an average of 
$350, Frank Rockefeller giving $1,125 for imp. 
Busybody and $1,025 for Beau Real's Maid. At 
Chicago while the initial International was in prog- 
ress 95 head sold for an average of $419, Moffatt 
Bros, paying $3,500 for VanNatta's March On 
13th, C. A. Jamison $3,150 for Clem Graves' Dolly 
5th and J. C. Adams $2,800 for Lady Help. 

The First International. — The Kansas City show, 
reinforced by contributions from other herds in; 
the States and Canada, was repeated at the formal 
opening of the International Live Stock Exposition 
at Chicago the first week in December, 1900. 

Dandy Rex headed the aged bulls again, with 
Dale, Improver and Christopher following in the 
order named. Dale was made senior champion, 
however, later in the week. C. Gr. Comstock's 
Gentry Lars, son of Clark's old champion Lars, 
headed the two-year-olds, and 0. Harris of Harris, 
Mo., had second on Goodenough by Benjamin Wil- 
ton. Perfection again led the yearlings, and Soth- 
am's Thickflesh, by Corrector, was best senior bull 
calf. 

Columbine again beat Dolly 5th in aged cows, 
although the latter was subsequently made senior 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 835 

female champion. Harris forged to the front in 
two-year-olds with the Benjamin Wilton heifer Betty 
2d. This grand heifer had been first at Hamline and 
many thought she should have beaten Blanche 13th 
at Kansas City. She was certainly a popular winner 
at the International. Modesty held down the senior 
yearlings, and Mischief Maker turned the same 
trick among the juniors. Lady Dewdrop, from the 
Harris stalls, was best senior heifer calf. 

Gudgell & Simpson won the grand herd prize 
over Dale and his harem. The Anxieties also drew 
the young herd trophy. Sotham's Correctors won 
the get-of-sire contest. 

The Big Trade of 1901. — Sotham opened the suc- 
cessful sale season of 1901 by selling 50 head at 
Kansas City on Jan. 21 at an average of $423.50. 
the 26 females bringing an average of $477. Clem 
Graves paid $1,080 for the Corrector heifer Happi- 
ness. On the succeeding day Mr. Humphrey sold 
70 head from his Riverside herd in Nebraska at an 
average of $344.50, Mr. Benton Gabbert giving 
$1,275 for the cow Erica 78th. At a combination 
sale held at same place on Jan. 23 Clem Graves sold 
19 head at an average of $584.20, Mr. J. C. Adams 
taking the cow Columbia at $1,000, and the heifers 
Columbia 2d and Carnation at $1,325 and $3,700 
respectively. At these sales near 200 head brought 
an average of $380. 

On Feb. 19 and 20 K. B. Armour and James A. 
Funkhouser sold 104 head at Kansas City at an 
average of $257. On Feb. 26 and 27 a combination 



836 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

sale was held at Kansas City by Guclgell & Simp- 
son, C. A. Stanuard, Seott & March and AV. S. Van- 
Natta at which 202 head averaged $294.30, Gudgell 
& Simpson topping the sale with an average of 
$383.50 on 45 head. Mr. A'anNatta bought the cow 
Cleopatra at $1,010 and B. E. Keyt took the bull 
Pretorian at $1,000. On May 21 at a combination 
sale at Chicago N. AV. Bo wen of Indiana bid off 
Dolly 2d and her heifer calf at $5,000, and Belle of 
Maplewood 3d at $1,900, l)otli exposed by John 
Hooker. The average on 98 head was $343. 

Among the important private transactions in the 
spring of 1901 was the purchase in England by Mr. 
Frank Nave of the four-year-old prize-winning bull 
Protector at $6,000 and his importation to Indiana. 
Protector was bred by Allen Hughes of Wintercott 
and was a rich-fleshed deep-bodied l)ull got by Al- 
bion (15027) out of a cow by Rudolph. Capt. 
''Ned" Scarlett, in charge of the Riverside Ranch, 
Ashland, Neb., sold to C. A. Jamison of Illinois 
the imported bull Dii)lomat and a large number of 
females. Diplomat met with an accident, however, 
and lived but one 3'ear thereafter. 

During the first five months of 1901 nearly 10,000 
registered Hereford s changed hands at public and 
private sale. About 1,000 of these went into Texas 
alone, and some 2,000 head were taken by Wyoming, 
Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and 
Oklahoma. 

In October 135 head from various herds sold at 
Kansas City for an average of $253.25, William 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 837 

Humphrey paying $1,005 for Mr. Armour's imp. 
Soutliington and C. B. Stoll of Hamburg, la., the 
same price for Beau Donald 37th. During the first 
week of December 96 head sold at Chicago at an av- 
erage of $380, J. C. Adams taking out Harris' show 
cow Betty 2d at $4,500, the Stanton Farm being 
runner-up. 

Tom Ponting Closes Out. — An important private 
transaction of tlie year 1901 was the sale of some- 
thing over 200 head of cattle by Tom Ponting, Mo- 
weaqua. 111., to William Humphrey, Ashland, Neb., 
at $35,000. This practically marked the close of Mr. 
Ponting 's career as a breeder of pedigree ''white 
faces." While he had never made any particular 
effort to force himself or his herd into the limelight, 
he nevertheless contribtued in a very practical way 
for a long series of years to the successful extension 
of Hereford breeding throughout the western states. 
Mr. Ponting was born in England in 1824, came out 
to the States in 1847, and engaged in the Hereford 
business in 1878. He made his first importation in 
1882, buying several head at the Carwardine sale. 
He at one time imported three head of the old gray 
sort from J. G. Haynes of Monmouthshire. At this 
writing (1914) Mr. Ponting is still living at the ripe 
old age of ninety years. 

Death of K. B. Armour.— On June 27, 1901, Kirk- 
land Brooks Armour, one of the strongest support- 
ers the Hereford interests had in the west, passed 
away while yet in the prime of a busy and emi- 
nently useful life. His first introduction to Here- 



838 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

fords was through the gift of a fine collection of 
purebred cows made by his uncle, the late P. D. Ar- 
mour of Chicago. The latter had bought a very 
valuable group of cows and heifers, full of Grove 
3d and Lord Wilton blood, from his friend Mr. C. 
M. Culbertson, Newman, 111., intending them as an 
attraction for a country place owned by P. D. Ar- 
mour, Jr. This young man showed no special fond- 
ness for the cattle, however, and on this account 
they were shipped to Kansas City to the Excelsior 
Farm of K. B. Armour. Here they met with ade- 
quate appreciation, and with the general revival of 
interest in cattle-breeding Mr. Armour resolved 
to materially enlarge and strengthen the herd. He 
became a heavy buyer of high-class breeding ani- 
mals from nearly all of the leading herds of the 
United States, and later on began a series of im- 
portations from Herefordshire, England, that cul- 
minated in the shipment of nearly 300 head which 
landed in Baltimore during the summer of 1901. 
In this work he had the active personal assistance 
of two of his most trusted employes, Mr. William 
Cummings and Mr. Frank Hastings. 

Kirk B. Armour's brother, Charles W. Armour, 
succeeded to his Hereford interests and for a long 
series of years continued to maintain a large herd 
near Kansas City. On Dec. 10 and 11, 1901, the 
Armour estate and Mr. Funkhouser made a sale at 
Kansas City, at which 110 head averaged $338. 

Important Contests of 1901. — Interest in the big 
shows of 1901 centered largely in the competition 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 839 

for premier place among the aged bulls. Sotham's 
Improver was sent forward in considerably higher 
condition than he showed during the previous year 
and made his first appearance at the Iowa State 
Fair, Des Moines, where he received the blue rib- 
bon with limited competition. The Minnesota show 
at Hamline was in those days one of the most im- 
portant events of the year in Hereford circles, and 
here the imported bull had to meet Gudgell & Simp- 
son's Dandy Rex. Victory rested in this first en- 
counter with Dandy Rex, and in the class competi- 
tion at Kansas City later on this verdict met with 
the approval of William S. VanNatta and Thomas 
Mortimer as judges. Later in the week, however, 
at the same show the senior bull championship was 
sent to Prince Rupert 79539, a son of the now fa- 
mous Beau Donald, exhibited by W. H. Curtice of 
Kentucky. The Prince was brought forward in. 
high condition, showed the characteristic good Anx- 
iety head and horn, and had a lot of scale and the 
extraordinary loin that has now come to be looked 
for in all good specimens of the Gudgell & Simp- 
son breeding. He had stood second to Dandy Rex 
in the class judging. Improver being third and the 
Armour entry, imp. Southington, fourth. Curiously 
enough when the Armour special trophy for best 
bull of any age came to be awarded Dandy Rex was 
preferred. The committee which had sent the 
senior championship to Prince Rupert consisted of 
Thomas Mortimer and William H. Giltner. The 
Armour trophy was awarded by Mr. Mortimer and 



840 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

William VanNatta, the former returning to his first 
love after having forsaken him an hour before for 
Prince Rupert. 

At the Chicago International a few weeks later 
Improver was first and Dandy Rex second, the im- 
ported bull Protector and Prince Rupert being 
turned down to fourth and fifth places respectively. 
This judging was done by Mr. T. J. Wornall, at 
that time a leading Missouri Shorthorn breeder, and 
William Cummings of the Armour management. 
The first-prize two-year-old at tlie International was 
Clark's Perfection. He had not been shown at 
Kansas City, and was presented in such capital 
form, that he ultimately received at this show the 
senior bull championship. 

At Kansas City 0. Harris had first prize and 
senior female championship on Betty 2d. Mischiev- 
ous had stood second to her in class. Miss Caprice 
was junior female champion, having been first 
among senior yearlings. Modesty, by Beau Brum- 
mel, was the first-prize two-year-old at Kansas City. 
At this same show Gudgell & Simpson had first- 
prize aged herd, while Harris showed the first-prize 
young herd and also the first-prize calf herd. Soth- 
am's Correctors were again the winners in the get- 
of-bull class, Betty 2d repeated her Kansas City 
winnings at the International. Golden Lassie, by 
Corrector, was placed ahead of Modesty, Theressa 
and Mischief Maker in the two-year-olds, and Miss 
Caprice led the senior yearling heifers. Harris won 
first prize in both the aged and young herd compe- 



THE CREST OP ANOTHER WAVE 841 

titions, and Sotliam had liis customary place in tlie 
get-of-bull contest. 

Perfection Brings $9,000. — Early in January, 
1902, Thomas Clark offered 58 head of cattle at auc- 
tion at the Chicago sale pavilion, the star attraction 
being the show bull Perfection. This proved to be 
one of the sensational episodes of this period, a 
spirited contest for the possession of the noted son 
of Dale between Thomas Mortimer and Gilbert H. 
Hoxie resulting in the sale of the bull to the latter 
at the previously unheard-of price for a Hereford 
bull of $9,000. At this sale it was announced that 
Dale had been sold privately to Mr. Jesse Adams of 
Moweaqua, 111., for $10,000. Mr. Clark's entire lot 
upon this occasion averaged $497, although the great 
sum given for Perfection was the only extraordinary 
figure registered.* 



♦Speaking of Perfection reminds us of "Bert" Pluck. The 
number of young Englishmen who came out to the States during 
the period of active importations was large, and many notable 
successes have been achieved by them. Their stories are always 
interesting, and in most cases inspiring. In these notes we have 
taken delight in reciting a few representative narratives of suc- 
cess achieved by young men who came out with nothing but 
pluck, a natural aptitude for the cattle business, and an inher- 
ited attachment for good animals. 

Here is the story of "Bert" Fluck, cousin to Tom Clark and 
Harry Fluck. Let him tell it in his own way: 

"My first experience with Hereford cattle dates back to the 
year 1882, when I was a boy of ten years at home with my 
father, the late Henry Fluck of Meer Court Farm, Kingstone, 
Herefordshire, England. Father kept a small heard of twenty 
breeding cows and always kept the best of sires. It was always 
my delight to be with him while he was feeding and caring for 
them as that seemed to be my chosen occupation, which I con- 
tinued to follow. As I grew older father put more confidence in 
me. At the age of fifteen years I had complete charge of my 
father's herd and all herd records, which I considered quite an 
honor. 

"In the summer of 1888 'Uncle John' Lewis, who was then 
manager of the Shadeland herd, owned by the late Earl & Stuart 
of Lafayette, Ind., came back to England on a visit. He was 
staying at my home and it being my duty to show him the herd 
he became deeply interested in me. He said to father: 'That 
is the kind of a boy we need in America. He can get a position 
at any time; you had better let hira go back with me.' 'John, 



842 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

The day following- the Clark sale 74 head offered 
by various breeders at the same place brought an 
average of $227. At Kansas City on the 14th and 
15th of January in a combination sale of cattle con- 
signed from 23 different herds 171 head averaged 
$227.70. 

Sotham's "Criterion" Sale.— On Jan. 28-30, 1902, 
Sotham held what he called his "criterion" combi- 
nation sale at Kansas City, upon which occasion 184 
head of cattle sold at an average of $341.70. Mr. 
Sotham's own consignment, consisting of 51 head, 

I can't spare him', said father. 'Uncle John' said, 'Henry, he 
can do more for himself in America than he can here in England.' 
Father said, 'If he wants to go he can', thinking at the same 
time I laciced the sand to start out. However, I met 'Uncle 
John' in Hereford and we talked the matter over, which looked 
bright to me, so I booked my passage to America on the Cunard 
steamship Servia, which at that time was a very fast boat. 

"We set sail July 26, 1888, from Liverpool, England, and 
landed in New York, Aug. 5, 1888. From there we took the 
train for Lafayette, Ind. After arriving there we went out to 
Shadeland Farm, where the herd was kept. It was a sight to 
behold. The herd was then at its best; the bull Earl of Shade- 
land 22d was a marvel. After staying at Shadeland a few days 
'Uncle' said, 'I am going up to Beecher to see Tom Clark. You 
had better come along.' "Tom being my cousin had visited us 
in England a few years previous when he made his large impor- 
tation. I was quite young at that time but remembered him 
well. To Beecher, 111., we went. There I found another Here- 
ford herd equal to the Shadeland herd, headed by Anxiety 3d 
and Peerless Wilton 12774. After visiting there a few days 'Uncle' 
said, 'You better stay with Tom', which I did and made it my 
home for six years, then returning to England on a visit. L^pon 
arriving back in America I accepted a position as herdsman with 
the Hugh Paul Galloway herd of Heron Lake, Minn., under the 
charge of David M. FyfEe, where I remained until Mr. Edward 
Paul dispersed the herd. David Fyffe informing me that there 
was nothing to do except farm work, which at that time I did 
not care to do, I accepted my old position with Tom Clark, where 
I remained until he sold his farm and dispersed his herd. After 
the cattle had all gone it became somewhat lonesome for me 
and I then accepted a position with the late G. H. Hoxie as 
manager of his Thorn Creek Herd, at Thornton, 111., where I 
again had charge of my old chum Perfection 92891, staying with 
him four years. I then moved back to Beecher on a farm which 
I had bought, and there engaged in raising hogs and feeding 
steers for the Chicago market. Selling my farm at Beecher, I 
purchased one at Grant Park, 111., where I still carry on the cattle- 
feeding business. I hope to engage in the breeding of pure- 
bred Herefords when my son is old enough to take the respon- 
sibility off my shoulders to some extent, as I wish him to follow 
in my footsteps." 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 843 

averaged $384.30, the top price being $3,995 offered 
by Mr. S. H. Godman, representing the Wabash 
Stock Farm Co. of Indiana, for the young bull 
Goodcross, sired by imp. Improver out of the fa- 
mous old matron Grove Maid 22d by The Grove 
3d, grandam Mr. Culbertson's celebrated Royal 
champion Prettyface by old Anxiety. The Correc- 
tor bull Bequeather was taken by Carruthers Bros. 
of Ryan, la., at $1,100. Mr. Clem Graves sold 8 
head at an average of $1,077.50, the top being $2,300 
paid by Carruthers Bros, for the Corrector cow Hap- 
piness. Jesse Adams took Bright Duchess 32d at 
$1,200 and 0. Harris bought Madrona by Earl of 
Shadeland 22d at $1,050. Nine head offered by S. 
H. Godman, Wabash, Ind., averaged $586.65, the lot 
being topped by the Cherry Boy cow Park Blanche 
going at $1,080 to J. Hartley, Fairmount, Ind. F. 
A. Nave's 10 head averaged $336.50. The Egger 
Hereford Cattle Co., Appleton City, Mo., sent 40 
head through the ring at an average of $215 ; Jesse 
Adams of Moweaqua, 111., 12 head at an average of 
$317; Geo. P. Henry, Goodenow, 111., 12 head at an 
average of $285 ; C. B. Smith, Fayette, Mo., 10 head 
at an average of $249 ; Dan W. Black, Lyndon, 0., 5 
head at an average of $229 ; Makin Bros., 9 head at 
an average of $197 ; E. B. Keyt, Newton, Ind., 4 head 
at an average of $212.50 and Geo. H. Adams, Cres- 
tone, Colo., 6 head at an average of $186. 

Changes in Hereford Headquarters. — The office 
of the American Hereford Breeders' Association 
which had for so many years been at Kansas City, 



844 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mo., was removed in 1902 to Chicago. The manage- 
ment of the Chicago Union Stock Yards, in addition 
to financing the newly established International 
show, had erected a substantial structure known as 
the Pedigree Record Building in which quarters free 
of rent were offered to the various national herd 
book associations. While there was some opposition 
to this removal of the Hereford record office the 
transfer was made, nevertheless. The office re- 
mained in Chicago for several years, but it was 
finally decided to re-establish headquarters at Kan- 
sas City, at which point the herd book is still pub- 
lished.* 

March On 6th and Queenly. — There was a wealth 
of new material seen on the show circuits of 1902, 
the heroes and heroines of the immediate past giv- 
ing way in all directions to fresher candidates for 
honors. The first clash was at Des Moines with 
Tom Clark in the judge's box. A new king had 
arisen among the bulls. His name was March Oij 
6tli 96537, bred by the VanNattas and brought for^ 
ward by Will Willis from the Funkhouser stalls. He 
was a son of imp. March On, of the memorable 
Cross importation, out of Jewel Fowler by Fowler. 
Wide, deep and wrapped in thick mellow flesh he 



*In this connection portraits are presented of Mr. Charles R., 
Thomas and Mr. R. J. Kinzer, the former long-time Secretary 
of the American Hereford Breeders' Association, and the latter 
the present holder of that important office. Mr. Thomas served the 
association for a great many years, not only handling the heavy 
work of the office during the frequent periods of heavy registra- 
tion, but having charge of the association's interest in con- 
nection with the holding of a great number of special Hereford 
exhibits at different shows, as well as the conduct of numerous 
combination sales under the auspices of the national organiza- 
tion. Mr. Thomas also visited England and South America in 
the interest of the association. 




C . f^. T^homas 



846 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

took rank at once as one of the best American-bred 
show bulls of his day. VanNatta's Marmaduke, by 
the old champion Christopher out of a Cherry Boy 
Dam, a bull of pronounced substance, stood second. 
In the two-year-old class John Letliam, manager for 
George P. Henry, won with Prime Lad 108911, a 
bull which even then gave promise of the greatness 
that was to come his way. Another showyard model 
that was to win her way to future championships 
was the two-year-old heifer Queenly, bred by Stew- 
ard & Hutcheon and now owned by Messrs. Van- 
Natta. She topped her class and later was adjudged 
best female of any age. March On 6th was cham- 
pion over all bulls. 

At Hamline the following week, under Ed Tay- 
lor's judgment, March On 6th was again at the head 
of his class, but in the bull championship the won- 
deful character and quality of Prime Lad brought 
Mr. Henry that high honor. This grand young bull 
was sired by Kansas Lad Jr. out of Primrose, a cow 
bred by Arthur Turner and imported by K. B. Ar- 
mour. Gudgell & Simpson* won the blue ribbons 
on both senior and junior yearling bulls with Belis- 

*Georg-e Shand was born near Huntley, Aberdeenshire, Scot- 
land, in 1845, left Scotland in 1882 and came to Canada, where he 
lived for three years. He came to Gudgell & Simpson at Inde- 
pendence, Mo., in March, 1885, when Anxiety 4th was in his 
prime. He left Gudgell & Simpson's in 1896 and went to work 
for Charles B. Dustin in Illinois, staying there until the Dustin 
Shorthorn herd was sold in 1900. He came back to Independence 
in 1900 and worked for J. M. Curtice eighteen months. At the 
end of that time he went to v/ork for Alexander Fraser as fore- 
man and herdsman of a Shorthorn herd and stayed there for 
thirteen years, or until Mr. Fraser's death, when the herd was 
dispersed. He then went to work for W. C. Thompson at Piano, 
111., with a herd of Shorthorns, and stayed there until the fall of 
1913, when he returned to Independence to make his home with 
his son-in-law, George Hendry, who succeeded him as head cattle- 
man on the Gudgell & Simpson farms. 



THE CREST OP ANOTHER WAVE 847 

arcus 126243, by Militant out of a Don Carlos clam, 
and Bright Donald by Donald Dim, and had first on 
senior bull calves for Rex Premier by the champion 
Dandy Rex. Harris took first in cows with Russett 
over Modesty. Queenly was first in two-year-olds 
over Miss Caprice, as well as female champion. 

Beau Donalds to the Front. — Wliile this was going 
on in the west W. H. Curtice of Kentucky, F. L. 
Studebaker, Warren, Ind., C. A. Jamison, Peoria, 
111., and G. W. Harness, Galveston, Ind., were put- 
ting up a good show east of the river. At Colum- 
bus, 0., Mr. Curtice appeared with fourteen entries 
of which twelve were the get of Beau Donald — all 
young things of real quality. He had Prince Rupert 
out again to head the senior bulls. The Beau Donald 
youngsters, however, were the real attraction of the 
show, and with them the young herd, the get-of-bull 
and the produce-of-cow prizes were won, Beau Don- 
alds 39th, 41st and 54th and Belle Donalds 27th, 
55th, 56th and 59th specially honored. Belle Donald 
59th was made champion female under two years 
old, all breeds competing, and the Curtice herd won 
grand championship of the yard over the Hanna 
Shorthorns and the Bradfute Aberdeen- Angus. 

At the Illinois State Fair 0. Harris won first in 
aged bulls with Beau Donald 5th over C. A. Jami- 
son's Arlington by Earl of Shadeland 22d and the 
same owner's Sailor by Acrobat. Mr. Curtice met 
heavier metal here, however, in the young herd com- 
petition and had to accept second to the Harris en- 
tries. 



848 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Clem Graves' $1,000 Average. — During the In- 
diana State Fair of 1902 Clem Graves made a sale 
of 43 head of cattle which resulted in the extraord- 
inary average of $1,007. This sensational figure was 
reached largely through the fact that the bull Cru- 
sader 86596 was run up to $10,000, and knocked off 
to Ed. Hawkins of Earl Park, Ind. Dolly 2d was 
taken by the same bidder at $7,000, and Cosmo, the 
dam of Crusader, at $3,000. Crusader was a richly- 
bred, low-legged, wide-bodied bull with a grand 
front and had just been made champion in strong 
competition. 

These prices were so startling that they created 
a veritable sensation in the American cattle-breed- 
ing world, and when some time later it developed 
that Mr. Graves had taken the cattle back there was 
some doubt created in the public mind as to the 
genuineness of the transaction at the sale ring at 
Indianapolis. This being the case, the author has 
requested Mr. Graves to make public a plain state- 
ment of the real facts in the case, and in compliance 
he has furnished the following: 

''Crusader, sire Cherry Ben, full brother to Colum- 
bus, dam Cosmo by Cherry Boy, was at the head of 
my herd when I sold the Dale Stock Farm to A. C. 
Huxley. I engaged Col. David Wallace to act as 
manager of my dispersion sale held Tuesday of the 
state fair, Sept. 16, 1902. There were fifty-four 
cattle listed and the sale expense was $103 on 
each lot. I believed that the class of cattle I had 
to offer merited this outlay, and the interest in this 
sale was such that I was honored by the presence 
of nearly every Hereford breeder of prominence, 



THE CREST OP ANOTHER WAVE 849 

and many of tlie Sliortliorn and Angus breeders, as 
well. 

"There were several bidders on Crusader. Among 
them I recall S. J. Peabody, Gilbert Hoxie, S. L. 
Wright and James R. Henry, who later in the sale 
purchased Dale Wilton. Ed. S. Hawkins and C. E. 
Amsden were the contending bidders up to $10,000, 
when he was sold to Mr. Hawkins. I learned after 
the sale that Mr. Amsden, then recorder of Shelby 
county and an ardent Hereford enthusiast, thinking 
that Crusader would likely sell at a high figure, had 
interested a number of Hereford breeders in his sec- 
tion of the state to join him in the attempt to se- 
cure the bull, and that one of the bankers at Slielby- 
ville came to the sale with them to make the settle- 
ment should they succeed in buying him. If Crusader 
had been sold to Mr. Amsden the deal would have 
been closed with cash. 

' ' Mr. Hawkins bought Cosmo, the dam of Crusader, 
with Amy Dale at foot and bred to Dale, for $3,000 
and several other cattle, his total purchase amount- 
ing to $17,520. I had sold him cattle in a breeders' 
sale at Chicago in the spring of 1902, and he had 
promptly settled with his check. I had visited his 
home, a palatial residence situated on a farm of 6,000 
acres of Benton county's richest land, stocked with 
Thoroughbred horses, Hereford cattle, and a large 
number of feeding cattle. Col. Wallace made the 
settlement for the sale and when he infomied me 
that Mr. Hawkins desired time on a part of his pur- 
chase I had no reluctance in accepting his note. In 
May, 1903, Mr. Hawkins made it known to his credi- 
tors who held cattle paper that he was financially 
embarrassed and invited them to meet in conference 
at Earl Park. We found that the real estate be- 
longed to his mother, the live stock was mortgaged, 
Mr. Hawkins was broken in health, and unable to 




CRUSADER 86596, BRED BY CLEM GRAVES. 




DALE 66481, THE $10,000 CHAMPION-BRED BY CLEM GRAVES. 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 851 

supervise his business; in sliort everything was ap- 
parently going wrong. 

"The cattle had received but little care or feed. 
'Cruse' had been left out doors to sleep on refuse 
straw where the bush of his tail had frozen fast 
and been pulled out. The cattle were in a deplor- 
able condition. We were in council several days 
before we could plan a course of action. We then de- 
cided to pay this mortgage. I paid $3,225 of it. 
We then listed the cattle and selected, each man in 
his turn from this list, until his claim should be 
satisfied. I selected Crusader, Cosmo and seven 
other cows for my claim. I kept the bull till De- 
cember, 1906, when I sold him to Hon. George 
Chandler, Baker City, Ore. 

"Crusader was pronounced by capable judges of 
Herefords to be the best front-ended bull they ever 
passed on. I never saw a bull that carried his head 
so well; in fact he was a remarkable specimen of 
bovine beauty. Crusader was first and champion 
bull at the Pan-American. He was not exhibited 
at the World's Fair at St. Louis, but he met and 
defeated both the senior and junior champions of 
that show. Prime Lad at Indianapolis and Mapleton 
at the Virginia State Fair. 

"I am glad to make this statement in order to 
clear up the doubt as to Crusader selling at all, since 
he was returned to me. He did sell for $10,000 and 
was well worth it. If Mr. Hawkins had not become 
ill, and had not lost heavily in the race-horse busi- 
ness, I am confident that he would have finished 
paying out on all the cattle." 

Broadening the Kansas City Show. — The fourth 
show since the Hereford association launched the 
first at Kansas City in 1899, was participated in by 
eight different breeders' organizations. The Amer- 



852 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ican Royal, as it lias been en lied in recent years, 
was now fairly on its feet. 

The Hereford exhibit was as impressive as ever. 
March On 6tli was the senior bull champion and 
Benton Gabbert produced the two-year-old winner 
in Columbus 33d, a bull of unusual scale and excep- 
tional substance. Bright Donald was junior bull 
champion, and Queenly the champion cow. 

On Dec. 8 and 9 at Kansas City Benton Gabbert 
and Dr. Logan sold 76 head for an average of $227. 
At this sale G. E. Reynolds gave $1,000 for Hesiod's 
Best* 

Various breeders consigned cattle to a combina- 
tion sale at Wabash, Ind., on Dec. 18, at which 63 
head sold for an average of $225.70. 

A New International Champion.— Mr. George 
Leigh had brought over from Herefordshire one of 
the biggest white-faced bulls of his time, Britisher, 
an English showyard favorite bred by Allen Hughes 
from Albion. He was entered at the Chicago Inter- 
national of 1902, where he not only headed the 
senior class by defeating his half-brother imp. Pro- 
tector, Beau Donald 5th, Columbus 17th, and other 
good ones, Imt received the senior and grand cham- 

*Reference has been made to the fact that old imp. Hesiod, 
the sire of Hesiod 2d, had a bad temper It took two men with 
ropes and staffs to safely present him in the showyard at an old- 
time Chicag-o exhibition. Speaking of this John Gosling is our 
authority for the statement that the fig-hting- spirit in this fine 
bull was undoubtedly brought to the surface by the flopping of 
the long white smocks frequently worn by the old English herds- 
men. On windy days the flopping of a smock or of an overcoat 
has been know^n to develop, for some occult reason, the combat- 
iveness of bulls. Air. Gosling gives it as his opinion, however, 
that "the width between a bull's eyes has more to do with a 
bull's disposition than the flopping of a woman's petticoat or a 
smock." Once the fighting spirit is aroused, however, the staff 
usually has to be brought into requisition as a measure of safety. 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 853 

pionsliip prize as well. He was shown at a weight 
of nearly 2,800 pounds, and was described at the 
time as "a bull of magnificent masculinity, most 
massive and imposing in appearance, with head, 
horn and crest of pleasing character, a brisket that 
hangs close to the ground, a tremendous spread of 
rib, showing the most tablelike back and loin of any 
bull of the breed that has yet fallen under our ob- 
servation." His hindquarters were long and heavy, 
so bulging that his tail hung over them on that slant 
that was so noticeable in old Grove 3d. His flesh 
had begun to slip, however, under the strain of re- 
peated fittings and the long voyage to America, and 
he was counted fortunate in going through this show 
with such signal honors. 

Second to Britisher at the Chicago show was 
Frank Eockefeller's Columbus 17th, bred by Benton 
Gabbert and sired by Columbus, the sire of Dale. 
He sold for $5,050 at Kansas City. He was a great- 
ribbed bull carrying a lot of flesh on stout, well set 
legs. Prime Lad had a walk-over in two-year-olds. 
Harris led the senior yearlings with Goodenough 2d. 
Bright Donald was best junior yearling. Mr. 
Henry's Disturber by Beau Donald 3d was best 
senior bull calf, and Harry Fluck* had a flash win- 



*H. J. Fluck, cousin to Thomas Clark, was born in the city 
of Hereford, England, on May 21, 1862. His father was a mer- 
chant in that city, born at Dinedor's Court, Herefordshire. At 
the age of two years Harry was taken to the country by his 
uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fluck of Upper House, Did- 
ley, St. Deouvrix, Herefordshire, where he was brought up by 
them. Always imbued with a fondness for fine stock of all 
kinds, his environments during his boyhood days added zeal to 
his ambition, for his uncle, who was one of the best all-around 
stockmen of his time in Herefordshire, possessed one of the good 
herds of "white faces" at that period. He took no interest, 



854 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ner in junior bull calves in Star Wilton by Peerless 
Wilton 39tli. 

Eussett, Modesty, Betty 2d and Mischievous — all 
old friends — were ranked in the order named. 
Queenly presided by common consent among the 
two-year-olds, Lucile 2d of the Harris herd was at 
the top of the senior yearlings. Steward & 
Hutcheon's burly Madge came forward in junior 
yearlings, and the same firm had the honor of draw- 
ing the blue in the senior heifer calves with Beau's 
Queen by Beau Brummel. 

A Beau Brummel-Fowler Nick. — Queenly 's won- 
derful wealth of flesh carried her throus'h this show 



however, in recording cattle, simply keeping the herd on a rent- 
paying basis by selling steers and culling out females for the 
block. Mr. Fluck is somewhat proud of the fact that he is of the 
third generation of the family of Flucks who were closely identi- 
fied with the raising of good Hereford cattle. His grandfather, 
Thomas Pluck, owned one of the good herds of Herefordshire, 
and produced the foundation sire of our latter-day Anxieties, 
the bull Dinedor 132 (395). The celebrated Walford 47 was a 
grandson of Dinedor. 

Harry became somewhat dissatisfied with his prospects at 
home and after reading and talking to others about the allure- 
ments of other lands determined to leave his mother country 
and seek his fortune in America. He landed in September, 1880. 
In the fall of 18S1 he became connected with the Culbertson herd, 
and his initial attempt for showyard honors was in 18S3 with 
the steer Roan Boy and others. Speaking of this Mr. Fluck 
says: "This was only a preliminary show, and it took six men 
to lead Roan Boy into the ring. He was exceedingly nervous. He 
was not considered worthy by the judiciary at that time, but the 
next year I sprung quite a surprise on the boys. The unex- 
pected happened. Roan Boy appeared as one of the best models 
of a beef steer that ever graced a show arena, winning every prize 
from class prize to grand championship, also winning the gold 
medal presented by 'The Breeder's Gazette,' which under the rules 
had to be won two years in succession or any three years. We 
again captured the much coveted prize with a steer named Dysart 
in 1885 and won it finally in 1886 with the steer Bowdoin. These 
were three outstanding good steers." 

Mr. Fluck severed his connection with Mr. Culbertson in 1886 
to take a more lucrative position with G. W. Henry of Rossland 
Park Farm, Ashkum, 111. During his connection with that herd 
he participated in the invasion of the Shorthorn strongholds of 
Kentucky with a show herd of Herefords as detailed elsewhere 
in this volume. Mr. Henry's show bulls were Caractarus and 
Prince Edward. There was also in the herd such other bulls as 
Hesiod, Anxiety 2d and Lord Derby. Some of the best females 
were Edwina, Annie Laurie. Lady Pet and Miss Stewart. Under 
Pluck's management Mr. Henry also had the winning steers Long- 



• THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 855 

season of 1902 without a slip. She was senior and 
also grand champion over females of all ages at the 
International, gaining the honor over the junior 
champion Beau's Queen. And thereby hangs a tale: 
Queenly was by Beau Brummel out of the VanNatta- 
bred Fowler Queen by old Fowler, and Beau's 
Queen was out of the same dam and sired by a son 
of Beau Brummel ! And here they stood, sisters in 
blood, the two lone contestants at the greatest show 
of the year for the highest honor that could fall to a 
Hereford female. 

The Giltners Buy Britisher. — At Chicago on Jan. 
7 and 8, 1903, in a combination sale 90 head were 
sold for an average of $265, the top price being 
$3,800 paid by Giltner Bros., Eminence, Ky., for 

fellow and Sir Edward. Some of the show bulls at Rossland 
Park, which Fluck was partly instrumental in producing, were 
Hesiod 2d, Sitting Bull and Caractacus Wilton. In 1890 Rossland 
Park was sold and the stock was disposed of by auction. 

Mr. Fluck then embarked in business on his own account, buy- 
ing out the old-established herd of George F. Baker of Oakland 
Stock Farm, Goodenow, 111. In 1893 at the world's fair he showed 
a good yearling steer which took second prize, a bull calf, and 
the two-year-old Sitting Bull, which won first in class and was 
finally made champion over all breeds. At St. Louis shortly 
after, Mr. Fluck sent down Sitting Bull, the calf and others and 
took blue ribbons. This same year at the fat stock show in Chi- 
cago he won a cup offered by "The Breeder's Gazette" for best 
steer bred and fed by exhibitor with the yearling Percy that 
weighed 1,610 pounds. Percy was second to Cherry Brandy at the 
world's fair, but won over him at this show two months later. 
The next year the show was lield at Tattersall's on Wabash Ave., 
where Percy won this cup again. 

Mr. Fluck has shown at every International since its incep- 
tion, and won a sweepstakes over all breeds three years in suc- 
cession. He bred and fed the grand champion Peerless Wilton 
39th's Defender in 1906, the reserve grand champion Fluck's Ex- 
pectation in 1904, and champion herd and the get-of-sire in the 
same year. At the St. Louis exposition in 1904 he was the only 
Hereford breeder to win a championship over all breeds. This 
was taken by the steer Fluck's Expectation. Looking back over 
his career Harry says: "There are two achievements which I 
am not a little elated over — one to be the first man of the 
Hereford fraternity to select, feed and show a Hereford steer 
that was made champion over all breeds, and another to have 
taken the Herefords into the state of Kentucky in the '80's and 
won over Shorthorns in strong competition against many of the 
illustrious breeders of that day." 




Wn? H. Giltner 



Frank CGittner 



THE CREST OF ANOTHER WAVE 857 

imp. Britisher.* Tom Clark gave $1,525 for the 
young bull Perfection Lad by Perfection. 

*The firm of Giltner Bros., comprising Messrs. W. H., Robert 
R. and F. C. Giltner, first engaged in the breeding of Hereford 
cattle in the spring of 1S97. The first cattle purchased were an 
imported bull and ten Shadeland-bred heifers. This bull proved 
impotent and after a diligent search for a successor Acrobat 
6S460, sired by Anxiety Monarch and out of a daughter of the 
celebrated Earl of Shadeland 22d, was purchased at a cost of 
$1,500. This bull was used extensively and successfully until nine 
years of age, when he was sold for $3,500 to C. E. Clapp, Berry- 
ville, Va. The next herd bull used by Giltner Bros, was Britisher, 
assisted by imp. Protector 117878, a one-time English champion 
imported by Frank A. Nave at a reported cost of $6,000. Britisher 
and Protector were both sired by Albion 76960, a champion and 
a sire of English champions. 

In the meantime the firm purchased in 1898 forty cows and 
heifers from Wallace Libbey. These cows were sired mostly by 
Rantin Robin 50603, he by Earl of Shadeland 12th 20109. The 
heifers were sired by Welldone 68786, a full brother to the fa- 
mous Sir Bredwell by Sotham's Corrector. They nicked kindly 
with Acrobat and from the beginning a class of young stock was 
produced which sold at from $200 to $600 each, which "looked 
mighty good" to the firm, considering the fact that a two-year- 
old steer was at that time bringing only from $50 to $60. 

From their own herd the brothers retained the bull Acrobat's 
Beau Donald 157648, a son of Acrobat 6S460 and out of a cow by 
Beau Donald 58966. This bull proved most useful and was not 
only a prominent prize-winner himself all through the south at 
the leading state fairs but sired Florence Acrobat 283070, the 1909 
junior champion female at tlie American Royal, also first-prize 
heifer calf at the Royal in 1908 and all leading state fairs that 
year. 

About 1903 Messrs. Hornsby Bros., neighbors of the Giltner 
Bros., purchased from Gudgell & Simpson the Beau Brummel bull 
Beau Roland 102767, to be used on their own herd. They allowed 
Giltner Bros, the free use of this animal, and the blending of 
Britisher and Beau Roland blood gave excellent results. From this 
cross was secured Beau Columbus, which was first as calf, first as 
yearling, second as two-year-old and first as aged bull at the 
Kansas City Royal and first and junior champion at the 1909 
International. British Corker 283072, first-prize aged bull at 
Denver for two years, was sired by Britisher and out of a Beau 
Roland cow. British Highball 267816, a prominent winner, which 
sold to S. B. Burnet for $1,500, was bred in the same way. 

While Giltner Bros, have not gone in extensively for show- 
yard competition, they have brought out each year a good herd 
of their own breeding. They have directed their efforts chiefly 
to supplying the immense field presented by the southern states 
and the export trade. Five state colleges have purchased breed- 
ing stock from Giltner Bros., as have also the governments of 
Cuba, Porto Rico and Brazil. They have customers in Argentina, 
Panama, Santo Domingo, Mexico, Hawaii and Canada. The 
junior member of the firm, Mr. F. C. Giltner, was for six years 
a director of the American Hereford Breeders' Association, of 
which oganization he was president from January, 1912, to Octo- 
ber, 1913. 



CHAPTER XXI. . 
HISTORY REPEATS. 

The high prices of 1900, 1901 and 1902 could not 
hold. Just ten years after the panic of 1893 an- 
other one of those widespread commercial depres- 
sions that have so often been registered in our 
country's progress was setting in and by 1903 
liquidation was general. The cattle business suf- 
fered in common with all other industries and the 
Hereford-breeding fraternity did not escape its 
share of depression. Values declined rapidly, the 
speculative element liquidated, and during the 
years immediately succeeding the bargain counter 
was very much in evidence. As usual in such cases, 
those who were in a position to purchase good, well 
bred cattle at low levels in due course of time 
reaped full reward. The return tide did not set in 
until about 1909. 

Lower Values at Auction. — At Kansas City on 
Jan. 14 and 15, 1903, Charles W. Armour and Mr. 
Funkhouser sold 107 head of cattle at an average 
of $245.30, the highest price reached being $625 for 
the young bull Onward 9th, a son of March On 6th 
bought by Murdo Mackenzie for the Matador herd. 
At Chicago on Jan. 29 in a combination sale 68 head 
sold for an average of $164, the top being $600 for 
imp. Princess Royal, bought by Amsden & Sons, 

858 



HISTORY REPEATS 859 

Shelbyville, Ind. At another Chicago sale on Feb. 
17 and 18 the 66 head averaged only $131.50. On 
Feb. 19 at Indianapolis 74 head consigned from vari- 
ous herds reached an average of $169.40, the high- 
est price being $540 paid by F. L. Studebaker, War- 
ren, Ind., for the cow Lucy M 2d, by Shadeland 
Dean. At Kansas City on Feb. 25 and 26 109 head 
from such herds as Gudgell & Simpson's, C. A. Stan- 
nard's, Scott & March's and F. R. Rockefeller's 
went under the hammer at an average of $164.25, 
the best price being $385 paid by- S. L. Brock for 
Annabel 5th, by Militant. Nothing could better il- 
lustrate the trend of the market than the fact that 
good things offered by Gudgell & Simpson and sired 
by Beau Brummel, Lamplighter and other noted 
bulls of the Anxiety blood passed through the ring 
at around $200 per head. And yet much darker 
days than these had been experienced in the 
earlier years and greater gloom was in store for 
1904. On Feb. 21 and 24 at Des Moines, la., in a com- 
bination sale 66 head were knocked down at an aver- 
age of $111.50. Mr. F. A. Nave sold at Attica, Ind., 
on March 18 50 head at an average of $280.80, the 
top being $795 paid by W. S. VanNatta & Son for 
Royal Daisy 2d, the dam of imp. March On, sold in 
calf to Dale. The famous show cow Benison went 
to Giltner Bros, at what was called the bargain price 
of $505. G. H. Hoxie on May 14 sold 38 head at 
Thornton, 111., for an average of $300. On May 22 
F. L. Studebaker sold 28 head at Wabash, Ind., 
for an average of $225. On June 16 and 17 T. F. 



860 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

B. Sotham at Cliillicothe, Mo., disposed of some 
1,800 head of stockers and feeders — along with 50 
head of pedigree Herefords, the total receipts for 
the two days' sale aggregating near $54,000. The 
stockers and feeders were sold in lots to suit pur- 
chasers and averaged about $24.30 per head. The 
pedigree cattle averaged $232. The top price of the 
sale for the registered cattle was $625 for the two- 
year-old Clem Graves, by Dale. 

In August, 1903, Frank Nave sold his $6,000 bull 
imp. Protector to Mr. T. A. Fletcher, who was 
for so many years active in the management of 
the Indiana Blooded Stock Co. The price was not 
made public. 

Fall Sales of 1903. — Prices did not mend as the 
season advanced. George H. Adams, Crestone, 
Colo., closed out 107 head at Linwood, Kans., on 
July 28 and 29 at an average of $163.65. Mr. Ad- 
ams was the owner of a 100,000-acre ranch in the 
San Luis Valley in southern Colorado, upon which 
he carried some 5,000 head of cattle all showing 
more or less Hereford blood and including at one 
time 200 head of registered animals.* These had 
been procured originally from the best sources, 
such as the closing-out sale of Thomas J. Higgins"" 

*As early as 1872, Mr. Adams began the improvement of his 
herd — founded by selection of the best native stocks in 1869 — by 
the use of pedigree blood. He paid J. C. Shropshire of Kentucky 
$1,060 for two Shorthorn bulls and continued the use of this 
blood for seven years, when having seen some of the Herefords 
sent to Colorado by T. L. Miller he concluded that the Hereford 
possessed superior hardiness. In 1879 he purchased 150 Colorado- 
bred grade Hereford bulls and later he visited the herd of T. L. 
Miller and other Illinois and Indiana breeders and purchased 
$8,000 worth of Hereford bulls. From that time Mr. Adams was 
one of the most spirited and liberal supporters of the Hereford. 



HISTORY REPEATS 861 

stock and the great Sunny Slope offering of 1898, 
where he bought 21 head at an average cost of over 
$500 per head, including the imported heifer Lumin- 
ous at $1,500 and imp. Leominister Daisy 2d at 
$1,205. 

Mr. Adams had in the meantime bought the fa- 
mous Linwood Farm — so long celebrated as the 
home of the Scotch-bred Shorthorn herd of the 
late Senator W. A. Harris — and had placed George 
Morgan in charge. On account of failing health, 
however, he decided to give up the handling of the 
purebreds and they were disposed of on the dates 
mentioned. Many of these cattle were range-bred 
and not halter-broken. They were necessarily pre- 
sented in pasture condition and naturally failed to 
bring their real value, especially at this period of 
depression. Luminous sold for $600 and her son 
Orpheus 2d for $400. Tom Pouting was a buyer of 
useful cattle for his sons Everett and Wayne. The 
top of the sale was $770 for the cow Lulu with twin 
heifer calves at foot. She was taken by Mr. Sotham, 
who had managed the dispersion. 

On Aug. 11 and 12 at Wabash, Ind., various breed- 
ers sold 113 head at an average of $146. At Kan- 
sas City on Oct. 22 98 head from various Missouri, 
Kansas and Nebraska herds averaged $163, W. H. 
Curtice receiving the top price of $600 for Beau 
Donald 48th. On Nov. 17 and 18 C. W. Armour and 
J. A. Funkhouser passed 97 head through the auc- 
tion ring at an average of $155.70. The best price 
made upon this occasion was $855, which was re- 



862 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

garded as a bargain figure for the capital yearling 
bull Onward 19tli, by March On 6th. He was taken 
by Benton Gabbert. During the International at 
Chicago 71 head were sold on Dec. 3 at an average 
of $168.75. The highest mark made here was 
$1,400 for the two-year-old bull Prairie Donald 
139616, offered by the Stanton Breeding Farms, 
Madison, Neb., and bought by William Reynolds, 
Lusk, Wyo. Only four females in the entire lot 
reached the $400 mark. These were all daughters 
of Beau Donald and bred by W. H. Curtice. At 
Kansas City on Dec. 10 and 11 C. A. Stannard and 
Mrs. Kate Wilder Cross sold from Sunny Slope 
Farm, Emporia, Kans., 100 head for an average of 
$172.90. Mr. Stannard 's yearling show bull Keep 
On 26tli by imp. Keep On was taken by the Messrs. 
Harris at $600. 

One of the regrettable incidents of this general 
liquidating movement was the enforced closing-out 
of the Sotham herd at Chillicothe, Mo., the disper- 
sion occurring at the farm on Dec. 15. The show 
bull Fulfiller went to 0. Harris at $1,510. He was 
sired by Improver, and was a son of the beautiful 
Benison by Protection, second dam Benita by Cor- 
rector. Protection was by Corrector out of a daugh- 
ter of Royal Grove. The 128 head averaged only 
$120.65.* 

♦Speaking of this event "The Breeder's Gazette" commented 
at the time as follows: 

"The results of Mr. Sotham's life-work as a breeder of Here- 
fords were scattered on Dec. 15 at sheriff's sale. William Moffatt, 
Paw Paw, 111., foreclosed a mortgage which he held on the herd 
and sold it out. Mr. Sotham had relied on a promise of financial 
aid which would have enabled him to save the cream of the 
herd and retain it under his management, but this failed him 
almost at the last minute, when it was too late to organize a local 



HISTORY REPEATS 863 

An important private transaction of this period 
was the disposition of George P. Henry's herd at 
Goodenow, 111. It went to James R. Henry of Gos- 
port, Ind., who subsequently resold a number of the 
cattle to Messrs. VanNatta and S. L. Brock, Macon, 
Mo. Along with the good cattle obtained from this 
source Mr. Brock secured as manager Mr. John 
Letham, in whose hands the herd became the foun- 
tain-head of many high-class Herefords in the years 
that followed. 

Death of George Morgan. — For some time prior to 
the Adams dispersion sale Mr. Morgan, the veteran 
importer and herd manager, had been in poor 
health, and late in August, 1903, he died in a hos- 
pital at Chillicothe, Mo., treatment for a carbuncle 
having failed to bring relief. Arrangements had 
been made by Sotham for Morgan to join ,him in 
handling Herefords at Weavergrace Farm, but this 
was not to be. 

The name of George Morgan will ever stand con- 
spicuous among those playing large parts in the 
introduction of Hereford cattle in the western 



company to buy the best of the cattle and hence aU have been 
scattered. 

"Mr. Sotham has faced some misfortunes in his life, but it 
may readily be believed that the bitterest of them was when 
he stood in the salering and lent all possible aid to the forced 
dispersion of the herd which had been the pride of his heart. 
Without his assistance buyers were chary of taking hold, but 
when he entered the ring' and guaranteed the transfer of all 
animals sold and worked earnestly in the interests of the sale 
the bidding became spirited and an average of around $120 was 
reached, by young and old, big and little. This is an excellent 
showing under all the circumstances. Only a tithe of the real 
value is usually reached at sheriff's sales, and considering the 
number of old cows in the herd which had been retained on 
account of demonstrated greatness as producers, and the con- 
dition of the cattle, sold without fitting or preparation, the result 
is better than had been expected. From the cattle and farm 
implements a total of $17,200 was realized." 




Mrs.Kdte Wilder Cross 



HISTORY REPEATS 865 

states. His relations to various important trans- 
actions have already been set forth. He was gen- 
erally regarded as a keen judge of a good animal, 
and personally selected in Herefordshire some of 
the greatest cattle transferred to American soil dur- 
ing the period of extensive importations. In the 
course of his long career in the business he naturally 
acquired a great store of information concerning the 
breed on both sides the water. His facility of 
expression, his aggressive personality and his keen 
sense of humor made him the life of almost any 
company of congenial spirits in which he might be 
found. The author regrets that he has been unable 
to procure a photograph of Mr. Morgan for repro- 
duction in this volume along with other notables of 
his time. However, his work is his own best mem- 
orial and title to appreciation at the hands of pos- 
terity.* 

Prime Lad and Beau Donald 5th. — There was a hard- 
fought battle at the fairs of 1903 between the com- 
ing and the going champions. Prime Lad, younger and 
fresher and admirably representing the old warrior 
Beau Real, was hammering hard on the shield of 
Beau Donald 5th. In the hands of the Messrs. Yan- 
Natta the Lad was slowly but surely making-up into 



*It was sometimes difficult to tell whetlier Morgan was talk- 
insr in jest or earnest. While haranguing- a crowd of cattlemen 
one night in the early days upon the merits of the Hereford for 
western range purposes he made a statement substantially as 
follows, which of course created much amusment: 

"I'll tell you 'ow it is: You see the 'ereford is something like 
the buffalo; 'e 'as a 'eavy 'ead and 'orn, is deep through .the 
shoulders and chest, and bein' light be'ind 'e climbs the 'ills fine." 

As present-day breeders have long since given the typical 
Hereford two endsas well as a middle, Morgan's buffalo exaggera- 
tion may now he treated, as he intended it at the time, as a joke — a 
good specimen of the ordinary play of his nimble wit. 



866 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE. 

a wonderful specimen of the breed — evenly balanced 
and full of character and quality. The old Beau, 
with his ponderous hind-quarters and extraordinary 
expanse of loin, impressed yet again the improve- 
ment being wrought in America in respect to rear- 
end finish. In the preliminary competition at Se- 
dalia, under a Shorthorn judgment, he had been pre- 
ferred by Mr. Wornall to Steward & Hutcheon's 
Beaumont, and by Wiley Fall at Des Moines he was 
set above Prime Lad. At Hamline with W. A. Me- 
Henry, of Aberdeen-Angus fame, and D. Y. Eobert- 
son, manager of Dan Hanna's Shorthorns, on the 
bench Beau Donald 5tli defeated both bulls, but at 
Indianapolis N. H. Gentry ordered Prime Lad to 
the front — a rating which stood for the remainder 
of the season, being confirmed at the Kentucky 
State Fair at Owensboro, at Springfield, at Kan- 
sas City and at Chicago. 

Three Great Groups. — There were at least three 
overwhelming demonstrations of the prowess of 
American breeders on the circuits of 1903 — the Beau 
Donalds, which herdsman Hendry continued to send 
forward with never-failing quality, the Benjamin 
Wiltons, with which Overton Harris made such a 
''hit" during this period, and the get of March On 
6th, now coming from the Funkhouser herd and 
showing outstanding character. At Sedalia Funk- 
houser had the senior bull championship over 
Beau Donald 5th with Onward 4th, and the 
junior bull championship on Onward 8th, be- 
sides the prize for best four get of the same 




BEAT iMJNAI.li .-Hi si;l4L'. .\^ PKAWX ]:\ r.lKK. 




PRIME LAD lOSOn AT TIIREK YEARS, AS DRAWN BY THROOP. 



868 



A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



sire. At subsequent shows, indeed for a series of 
years, the depth and width of the Keep 0ns and the 
March 0ns attracted fresh attention to the value 
of the imported blood which John Steward and 
Harry Yeld had brought out for Mr. Cross in 1898. 
The Kansas City and International shows of 1903 
were so rich in toppy youngsters that it is impos- 





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# , 


JS&a 


^^^^^^^^^HMHHPi ' ^^^^^^1 


^^^^ 


W^ M^m 







ONWARD 4TH AND HIS TRAINER WILi, WILLIS. 

sible to enter into details here. Harris, Curtice, 
Funkhouser, the VanNattas, Stannard, Gabbert, 
Steward & Hutcheon, Gudgell & Simpson, C. G. Corn- 
stock, J. M. Curtice, the Stanton Farm, the Makins, 
the Steeles, C. N. Moore, Dr. Logan, C. W. Armour, 
Robert Hazlett, S. L. Brock, and others were now 



HISTORY REPEATS 869 

producing sliow stock as good, if not better tlian 
had ever before been seen. 

At Kansas City the champion bull was Mr. Funk- 
houser's Onward 4th, both his sire and dam — On- 
ward 6th and Dewdrop — having been champions 
before him. VanNatta's Rosalie by March On had 
the female championship. 

At the final round-uji at Chicago Prime Lad, Beau 
Donald 39th, Prairie Donald (by Beau Donald 7th), 
Eight Lad and Benjamin Wiltons lOtli and 16th led 
the bull classes. In a memorable show of cows and 
heifers the blue ribbons rested with VanNatta's 
T^orna Doone (by Christopher), Harris' Lucile 2d 
(by Benjamin Wilton), VanNatta's Rosalie (by 
March On), and Harris' Amelia, Arminta and Miss 
Donald 5th. The Beau Donalds had both first and 
third in the get-of-sire class, with the Benjamin 
Wiltons coming in between. 

Death of Benjamin Wilton. — The great showyard 
events of this era contain many references to the 
splendid character of the sons and daughters of the 
bull Benjamin Wilton, exhibited by Overton Harris. 
The bull was bred by Cornish & Patten, Osborn, 
Mo., and had been owned at one time by John E. 
Stone, Harris, Mo. He was an in-bred Anxiety, hav- 
ing been sired by Wilton Anxiety 41810, he by Tom 
Clark's Peerless Wilton, out of one of Gudgell & 
Simpson's Anxiety 4th cows. He was not a big 
bull, weighing about 2,100 pounds in breeding con- 
dition, and was specially distinguished for his extra- 
ordinary good temper and docility. He sired in his 



870 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

time about 250 calves, including Betty 2d, the cham- 
pion female of 1901, that sold with calf at side for 
$4,500. He was killed by a stroke of lightning in the 
spring of 1903. But a few days previous Mr. Jesse 
Adams of Moweaqua, 111., had closed a deal with 
Mr. Harris for some ten head of Benjamin Wilton 
heifers at an even $10,000. Mr. Harris is said to 
have sold over $42,000 worth of calves sired by this 
bull within the space of four years. 

Death of Dale.— On Oct. 18, 1903, Dale, the cham- 
pion show bull, died at Woodland Farm, the prop- 
erty of his owner, Jesse Adams, Moweaqua, 111. 
Mr. Adams had paid the great sum of $10,000 for the 
bull in 1901. Dale was one of the many valuable 
legacies left to the Hereford breed in America as a 
result of the famous old-time importation of Earl 
& Stuart. He carried a double cross of Garfield com- 
bined with the blood of Peerless and Prince Edward, 
and through his son Perfection passed on to the 
Hereford breeders of the United States a factor of 
demonstrated value. His dam, Rose Blossom, once 
changed hands at $5,000. She lived to be fifteen 
years old, was the mother of Columbia the dam of 
Disturber, and died two months after the decease 
of Dale, the property of Mr. G. M. Naber of Naber- 
lea Farm, Wabash, Ind. 

The Sale Season of 1904. — Breeders had now set- 
tled down to an acceptance of a situation which did 
not promise exceptional prices. There was grim 
determination all along the line, however, to hold 
on to that which was good and await the return of 




Copyright photo by Bustln 

PROTECTOR 117878, BY ALBION 15027, DAM BY RUDOLPH— BRED BY 
ALLEN HUGHES, IMPORTED BY F. A. NAVE AND SOLD TO 
GILTNER BROS. 




Copyright photo by Bustln 
ALBION 7GUG0, IMPORTED lix f^. A. JAMISON. 



872 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

])etter times. In February of this year Giltner 
Bros, offered 53 liead of registered cattle at auction 
at Auburn, Ala. This was one of the first attempts 
of the kind in that section and resulted in the grati- 
fying average of $213 per head. On March 2 Mr. 
C. A. Jamison sold 136 head of cattle at Hamlet, 
Ind., but the market would not at this time take so 
many at strong prices. The average was $124, the 
top being $1,575 paid for the imported bull Albany 
by M. E. L. Wilhams, Peoria, 111.* Events of this 
spring in the middle west were large offerings of 
range-bred Hereford calves at auction. On March 
17 the SMS outfit sold about 600 head at C. C. 
Judy's farm, Tallula, 111., at an average of from 
$20 to $30. In May the LS management sold 500 
head at Mr. Imboden's, Decatur, 111., at an average 
of around $20 per head. 

There were no important incidents at the fall sales 
of this year. Fifty-six head, consigned from various 
herds, sold at Kansas City on Oct. 21 at an average 
of $186.25. The top was $1,330 paid by S. L. Stand- 



*Mr. Jamison lived at Peoria, 111., and began his Hereford 
herd in the spring of 1S99 by tlie purcliase of 99 animals of breed- 
ing age and about 30 calves, all of w^hich were placed upon his 
large farm near Hamlet, Ind. This purchase included the Cor- 
rector bull Well Done 66786. A little later 45 two-year-old heifers 
were bought and with these came another Corrector bull. Sir 
Comewell 6S776, and Reginald 64067 by Mr. VanNatta's Hengler. 
Other purchases were made from Mr. Nave, Mr. Armour and 
other prominent breeders. Mr. Jamison also used the Shadeland 
bull Sailor 93037 by Acrobat. Subsequently he bought imp. Diplo- 
mat 81547, but he met with an accident which caused his death 
soon afterwards. Immediately after this event, after consultation 
with Capt. Scarlett, Mr. Jamison decided to cable an offer for the 
unbeaten two-year-old bull Albany 132876. The deal was closed 
at a reported price of $6,000. Alliany was bred by Allen Hughes, 
and was landed in New York along with the two fine heifers, 
Lady Barbara and Princess Royal, both of William Tudge's breed- 
ing. Mr. Jamison's operations were on a very extensive scale, 
and during the winter of 1902 it was stated that although he had 
sold 229 head during the two years immediately preceeding he 
still owned over 400 head of Herefords. 



HISTORY REPEATS 873 

isli for Mr. Funkliouser's Onward 4th. Luce & Mox- 
ley took Curtice's Prince Rupert 8th at $850. 

The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904.— While busi- 
ness depression continued to restrain activity in the 
trade there was no let-up in the entliusiasm and inter- 
est of the leading" producers of high-class Herefords. 
There was held at St. Louis in the autumn of 1904 a 
great exposition commemorating the purchase by 
the United States from France of the so-called Lou- 
isiana Territory. A live stock department com- 
mensurate with the importance and dignity of the 
occasion was projected and carried out to a success- 
ful consummation, Hon. F. D. Coburn, the veteran 
Secretary of the Kansas State Board of Agricul- 
ture, holding the helm. The various national organi- 
zations of breeders of pedigree live stock appropri- 
ated money for special prizes and cooperated in mak- 
ing the event a monumental success. 

There was a comparatively light display of the 
"white faces" at the early fairs of 1904. The big 
guns were being held in reserve, in many instances, 
for the great exposition contest, which was naturally 
the outstanding event of the year. As this show 
ranks with the Chicago Columbian of 1893 in point 
of historic interest to American cattle breeders, the 
full account of the Hereford exhibit as presented at 
the time by ''The Breeder's Gazette" is appended:* 

*This account of one of the greatest Hereford battles of 
modern times is presented not only for the historical value of 
the prizelist itself, but because of its descriptions and criticisms, 
reflecting as they do the standard by which Hereford show cattle 
were judged at that time. It is from the pen of William R. Good- 
win, the present manag-ing editor of "The Breeder's Gazette," 
who for a quarter-century past has been reviewing the leading 
live stock shows of the United States. His work has dealt with 



8.74 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

"No class of breeders lias made more systematic, 
thorough and painstaking preparations for this 
world's fair cattle show than the men who handle 
the 'white faces.' Their reward has been great, for 
it was a sensational display of the excellencies of the 
breed. From Kentucky to Nevada they came troop- 
ing at the call, determined to make plain the fact of 
Hereford early maturity and bloom in this world's 
arena. And admirably did they succeed. From 
start to finish, from the moment that a Hereford 
first entered the forum until the last white-faced baby 
romped from the ring, it was a succession of classes 
of astonishing strength, with a most notable absence 
of inferior animals. 

"Never had the feed-bucket been more carefully 
handled, never had the tonsorial art on the bovine 
coat of hair, brought to such perfection by Hereford 
herdsmen, been more strikingly illustrated. It was 
a beautiful display of Hereford strength and must 
have exerted a powerful impression on even the 
most careless of observers. The list of exhibitors 
who participated in this event follows: 

"James A. Funkhouser, Plattsburg, Mo.; W. S. 
VanNatta & Son, Fowler, Ind. ; S. W. Anderson, 
Blaker Mills, W. Va. ; Gudgell & Simpson, Independ- 
ence, Mo.; 0. Harris, Harris, Mo.; W. H. Curtice, 
Eminence, Ky. ; Benton Gabbert & Son, Dearborn, 
Mo.; Egger Hereford Cattle Co., Appleton City, 
Mo.; C. N. Moore, Lees Summit, Mo.; J. S. Lan- 
caster & Sons, Liberty, Mo.; Fritz & Shea, Blakes- 
burg, la.; A. R. Firkins, Worcester, England; Wal- 
ter B. Waddell, Lexington, Mo. ; S. L. Brock, Macon, 
Mo.; H. J. Fluck, Goodenow, 111.; C. G. Comstock, 

all the important types of cattle, horses, sheep and swine known 
to contemporary stock-breeding and for comprehensive grasp 
, of detail, breadth of field covered, facility of expression and fair- 
ness of treatment throughout by common consent it has never 
been equalled in the whole realm of live stock criticism. 



HISTORY REPEATS 875 

Albany, Mo. ; Steele Bros., Belvoir, Kans. ; A. R. 
Haven, Greenfield, 111.; Steward & Hutclieon, Bolc- 
kow. Mo. ; John Sparks, Reno, Nev. ; Eagle Farm 
of Indiana; Dette Bros., Brinktown, Mo.; Carter & 
Curtner of Indiana ; R. S. Burcliam, Windsor, Mo. ; 
Mrs. K. W. Cross, Emporia, Kans.; J. Condell, 
Eldorado, Kans., and H. D. Martin, Shelbyville, Ky. 

"Thomas Clark, Beecher, 111., was nominated and 
confirmed as judge of Herefords, but later C. A. 
Stannard, Emporia, Kans., was appointed to work 
with him. 

"Aged Bulls. — 1, Prime Lad; sire, Kansas Lad 
Jr. ; W. S. VanNatta & Son. 2, Bright Donald ; sire, 
Donald Dim; Gudgell & Simpson. 3, Onward 4th; 
sire, March On 6th ; James A. Funkhouser. 4, Fulfill- 
er; sire, Improver; 0. Harris. 5, Beau March On; 
sire, March On 5th; C. N. Moore. 6, Actor 26th; 
sire. Actor 3d; S. W. Anderson. 7, Beau Donald 
39th; sire, Beau Donald; W. H. Curtice. 

"The bulls on the prizelist are familiar figures, 
or well known by name. The repeated trial of 
strength between Prime Lad and Onward 4tli here 
resulted in another triumph for the fonner, the 
March On 6th bull getting a hard setback to third 
place. Prime Lad had been handled for a couple 
of years with especial reference to the St. Louis 
competition and he fulfilled all hopes and expecta- 
tions. This level-lined .shapely quality-sort bull 
with his large and drooping horn, his neat bone, 
his bulging buttocks, furnishes many of the ele- 
ments which popularly inhere in a champion. He 
is not of the bulkiest pattern, nor is he on the small 
side. He has matured a little since last season, 
but has suffered a slipping of flesh from the shoul- 
ders, while the 'band' back of the crops is a trifle 
more pronounced. He is a bull of flesh and finish. 



876 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

balanced at both ends, and strong in the middle 
except at the point noted. Compared to the low- 
legged Onward 4tli both Prime Lad and Bright 
Donald looked a bit off the ground, but that is on 
account of the remarkable brevity of the under- 
pinning of the March On 6tli bull. It would per- 
haps be asking too much for a bull of his weight, 
bulk and sappiness to hold his back altogether level, 
and the remarkably high carriage of head adds to 
the impression of slackness of top. He is extremely 
wide and rotund in his turning, magnificent in his 
head, horn and crest, and great in buttocks and 
twist. Bright Donald is a little different type, a 
very straight-lined yellow-red, with strong heavy 
well-fashioned hind-quarters, a pleasing head and 
horn and a great weight of mellow flesh, but with a 
roughness of shoulder that stands against him. Of 
Fulfiller it may be said that he has not fulfilled his 
early promise. In his youth he was easily the best 
bull produced at Weavergrace. He is extremely low 
and broad and wealthily fleshed, but he does not 
carry a level topline and his hips are somewhat too 
wide. Beau March On is a neat-boned bull, of ex- 
cellent top and plenty of finish, but his underline 
shows some suggestion of pinch. Actor 26th carries 
his heavy weight close to the ground and his ribs 
are well sprung and covered, but he lacks the 
smoothness of outline carried by Beau Donald 39th. 
This bull continues to present the bullet-like style 
of architecture, with tremendous heavy hind end, 
and his place at the bottom of the list was much 
of a surprise. 

'*We depart in this instance from the rule limit- 
ing comment to prize-w^inners to note the presence 
in the ring of the English champion bull Happy 
Christmas. He is a bull of great bulk and attractive 
in his fashioning forward, but evidently he has seen 



HISTORY REPEATS 877 

better days and at this time was not in fit form to 
cope with such a company. 

The Two-Year-Olds. — 1, Defender; sire, Perfec- 
tion; C. G. Comstock. 2, Keep On 26th; sire, Keep 
On; 0. Harris. 3, Donald March On; sire, March 
On; W. S. VanNatta & Son. 4, Prince Rupert 8th 
sire. Prince Rupert; W. H. Curtice. 5, Right Lad 
sire, Kansas Lad, Jr.; S. L. Brock. 6, Romulus 
sire, Militant; Gudgell & Simpson. 7, Marmaduke 
5th ; sire, Marmaduke ; S. W. Anderson. 

''This company called forward some bulls of a 
lot of size for the age, and a few of them were a 
trifle too up-standing. Brevity of legs and weight 
in small superficies are cardinal points of excellence 
in the Herefords, and are too highly prized and too 
deeply ingrained in the breed to be lost. Defender 
has been growing in popularity as he has been 
strengthening in form. He is perhaps on the large 
side, yet not coarse nor wanting type. He has a 
commanding presence, a good horn, splendid crest, 
great width of top and smoothness of turning, and 
is particularly heavy and well finished in the hind- 
quarters. Keep On 26tli is quite on the other type, 
presenting the no-legged breadth and bulk propo- 
sition in rather spectacular fashion. He has a beau- 
tifully carved countenance, but a surplusage of bris- 
ket. His ribs are widely sprung, his loins deeply 
packed, his rounds very full, but there is a little un- 
evenness on the top of his hind-quarters. Donald 
March On is off the same fashioning block in large 
degree, holding his widespread frame close to the 
ground and claiming attention to the remarkable 
development of thighs and rounds, but a little heavy 
in his lower lines. Prince Rupert 8th reverts again 
to the type at the head of the class, possessing 
stretch, but low of leg; his foreribs could arch a 
trifle more, but beneath his yellow-red coat he car- 



878 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ries a tremendous weight of linn ilesli. Right Lad 
needs to come nearer the ground ; he has the head 
of a feeder, a grand top and a particularly well 
filled chine and impressive crest. Romulus returns 
to the blocky sort — a bull of good head and horn 
and attractive presence. 

"Senior Yearlings. — 1, Onward 18th; sire, March 
On 6th ; James A. Funkhouser. 2, Benjamin Wilton 
10th; sire Benjamin Wilton; 0. Harris. 3, Beau 
Donald 58th; sire, Beau Donald; W. H. Curtice. 4, 
Beau Donald 66th; sire. Beau Donald; W. H. Cur- 
tice. 5, Princeps 8th; sire, Princeps; Steele Bros. 
6, Rare Lad; sire, Kansas Lad Jr.; S. L. Brock. 7, 
Leader; sire, Beaumont; Steward & Hutcheon. 

"One of the most stubborn contests of the week 
quickly developed as Onward 18th and Benjamin 
Wilton lOtli assumed positions on the firing line. 
The latter is a bit the taller, and shows more growth 
of frame, with clean throttle, a roomy middlepiece 
that is arched over in strong fashion to carry its 
weight of beef, loins that are the glory of the Here- 
ford in its best estate, and hips neatly covered. On- 
ward 18tli is somewhat wanting the scale of his 
rival, ic well rounded on the rib, but a trifle narrow 
over the shoulders, remarkable in the full-fashioning 
of his hind-quarters, surpassing the others in this 
respect, and showing a blockier conformation 
throughout. A bull's head, smooth shoulders, level 
strong back, full flanks, and much heft of hind-quar- 
ters characterize Beau Donald 58th. Beau Donald 
66th is a soggy sort, neat-boned, great-crested, wide 
of chest, finely ribbed and plump in covering of 
loins. Such finish at the tailhead as is carried by 
Princeps 8th is highly desirable, especially when it 
is joined with his rotund turn of top, neat hips and 
nice style ; a little more fullness of heart-girth would 
improve this bull. Rare Lad carries lots of sub- 




Beri Ftuck 



Harrj/J.Fluck 



880 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

stance, is well conditioned and presents a width of 
front and covering of forerib that are pleasing. 
Leader is a strong-framed chap, with well distribu- 
ted mellow flesh and loin of attractive fullness. 

"Junior Yearlings. — 1, Beau President; sire. Beau 
Brummel; Gudgell & Simpson. 2, Onward 23d; sire, 
March On 6th; James A. Funkhouser. 3, Meteor; 
sire, Hesiod 17th ; Benton Gabbert & Son. 4, Hidrot- 
ic Alamo ; sire, McCord ; John Sparks. 5, Actor 
30th ; sire. Actor 3d ; S. W. Anderson. 6, Marchette ; 
sire, March On 5th; S. L. Brock. 7, World's Fair 
Winner; sire, Sotham; Dette Bros. 

"Brevity of miderpinning, levelness of top, and 
blockiness of build doubtless stood Beau President 
well in hand when he faced his competitors in this 
lot. The steaks that can be cut from his swelling 
rounds would weigh out heavily over the butcher's 
block. Onward 23d has more stretch than the ma- 
jority of the March On 6th progeny, the same mascu- 
line character, and rotund buttocks. Meteor is a 
dark-colored red, very round and bullet-like, carry- 
ing a lot of flesh in smooth form, but a trifle narrow 
in his head, Hidrotic Alamo charmed with the beau- 
tiful smoothness of his outlines, his neat-laid shoul- 
ders and well covered hips uniting to present a bull 
of much evenness. Actor 30th is a wide-topped bull 
of good depth, carrying his bulk on hind legs that 
are nicely modeled. Marchette is one of the egg-like 
kind with no waste of leg, and nicely ornamented in 
horn. Length, style, good back and nice quality are 
present in World's Fair Winner, but he had a 
mighty narrow margin in which to make good his 
name. 

"Senior Bull CaJves. — 1, Mapleton; sire, Beau- 
mont; Steward & Hutcheon. 2, Good Enough 4th; 
sire, Good Enough 3d; 0. Harris. 3, Distributor; sire. 
Disturber, S. L. Brock. 4, Bold Rex; sire, Dandy 



HISTORY REPEATS 881 

Rex; Gudgell & Simpson. 5, Actor 35tli; sire, Actor 
3d; S. W. Anderson. 6, Haven's Protector; sire, Pro- 
tector; A. R. Haven. 7, Advance; sire, Onward 4tli; 
W. S. VanNatta & Son. 

"There were nuts to crack among the senior 
calves. More than a score assembled and the round 
finally resolved itself into a consideration of the 
conflicting claims of Mapleton and Good Enough 4th. 
In this Mapleton we have champion stuff. He has 
already attained the title of junior champion, and if 
the fates are kind to him higher honor seems in sight 
in the future. He is good enough to be discussed 
negatively. That is to say, if the tail were a bit 
more neatly set on the rumi? the man who would 
throw stones at him would endeavor to pick flaws 
in a diamond of the first water. In his form, his 
substance and his finish Mapleton is 18-karat gold. 
But it required the services of T. J. Wornall as ref- 
eree to land him in premier position, so hard did 
Good Enough 4th push him. The latter is a young- 
ster of wonderful ripeness, with ample style and fin- 
ish at tailhead, deep flanks and a furry coat. Mr. 
Wornall agreed with Mr. Clark in sending Mapleton 
to the top. Barring a little unevenness at the tail- 
head Distributor is like cast from a bullet mold. 
Rounds, loins, ribs and head are capital. The cylin- 
drical form is nicely illustrated in Bold Rex, bar- 
ring a little flatness of forerib. A big end, a good 
head and compact well finished form are sliow^n by 
Actor 35th. Haven's Protector is a shade darker 
than the average in coat, of good growth and mel- 
low in his flesh. There is a lot of growth to Ad- 
vance, and he show^s fair depth of body. 

"Junior Bull Calves. — 1, Sagamore; sire, Bright 
Donald; Gudgell & Simpson. 2, Good Enough 10th; 
sire, Good Enough 3d; O. Harris. 3, Onward 30th; 
sire March On 6th; James A. Funkhouser. 4, Beau 



882 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Donald 75tli; sire, Beau Donald; W. H. Curtice. 5, 
Mapleton Beau; sire, Beaumont; Steward & Hutch- 
eon. 6, Don Irving'; sire, Henry Irving; W. S. Yan- 
Natta & Son. 7, Onward 31st; sire, March On 6th; 
James A. Funkhouser. 

"A genuinely good one fore and aft is Sagamore, 
a calf of true lines, set right at the ground, level of 
top and bottom, and with hind-quarters that carry 
the twist well down to the hocks and fill the lower 
rounds. Good Enough 10th is a calf of more growth, 
furry-coated and very sappy, a veal ready for the 
block but not so strong in the back as Sagamore. On- 
ward 30tli and Onward 31st were on the list, the 
former a little dark in coat, of blocky build and on 
short legs, the latter a lighter red of choice quality, 
not so wide as his companion but sweeter and like an 
apple in his smoothness. Donald 75tli is one of those 
lathe-turned chaps that has the mellowness of a 
ripe peach. Mapleton Beau is a rather wee one, well 
lined out and nice in his quality, while Don Irving 
has scale and length and a real round build over the 
back with well finished quarters. This was a capital 
lot of youngsters and likely contains some names that 
will be widely known to fame in the future. 

"Aged Cows. — 1, Lorna Doone; sire, Christopher; 
W. S. VanNatta & Son. 2, Belle Donald 44th; sire. 
Beau Donald; W. H. Curtice. 3, Priscilla 5tli; sire, 
Lamplighter; Gudgell & Simpson. 4, Romaine; sire, 
March On 6th; James A. Funkhouser. 5, Dorinda; 
sire. Beau Brummel; Fritz & Shea. 6, Modesty 3d; 
sire, Beau Brummel; Gudgell & Simpson. 7, Belle 
Donald 59th; sire. Beau Donald; W. H. Curtice. 

"A score of cows, rather variant in size and condi- 
tion, some in the height of showyard condition and 
others with sucking calves at foot, made up a com- 
pany that commanded a large degree of the time^ of 
the judges who finally referred the allotment of third 



HISTORY REPEATS 883 

prize to N. H. Gentry, being unable to agree. Five 
cows were selected and sent over to one side the 
arena and there the scrutiny was prolonged. Lorna 
Doone, thus far the winner of the year, assumed her 
accustomed place. She had stout friends for higher 
favor than she received last year, but now all seem 
ready to do her reverence. Her kindly countenance 
is ornamented with a horn that is a bit old-fashioned 
in its turning but not the least homely; the carcass 
proposition lindsits best exemplification in her broad 
bosom, widespread frame and generous expanse of 
top. Some little w^eakness develops on an examina- 
tion of the thighs, but the cow in her massiveness and 
trueness to type readily takes high rank. Belle Don- 
ald 44th is entitled to consideration among the best of 
them. She is of fine size, marked quality, broad- 
bosomed, deep-middled, w^ith back hooj^ed like a bar- 
rel and hind-quarters well filled. By vote of referee 
Gentry Priscilla 5th was set above Romaine. The 
former is a very short-legged cow, looking a bit small 
in her present company, with very sweet feminine 
head and drooping horns, straight topline and thick 
flesh. Romaine is another wide-out Ijlock, standing 
right at the ground, with broad turn to the ribs which 
are literally rolled and padded in smooth flesh. She 
shows a beautiful face and if she were equally well 
finished behind would make more trouble for her 
competitors. Dorinda is a cow of beautiful sym- 
metry, wanting just a little closer carriage to the 
ground. She may be a bit light about the neck but 
few of them are so well proportioned, so grandly 
finished in the hind-quarters and so chock full of 
quality. Modesty 3d hugs the ground closely, the 
head is pretty and the horns curving, the veins are 
full, the top wide and the thighs well fleshed. It is 
a little singular that full sisters should find place on 
this prizelist, and yet such is the fact. Belle Don- 



884 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

aid 59th comes from the mating that produced the 
second-prize cow in tliis company. She is a year 
younger, carries much scale, a line back and great 
hind-quarters. 

"The Two-Year-Olds. — 1, Amelia; sire, Premier; 
0. Harris. 2, Heliotrope ; sire, Princeps ; Steele Bros. 

3, Twila; sire, March On 6th; James A. Funkhouser. 

4, Domestic; sire, Princeps; Steele Bros. 5, Belle 
Donald 60th; sire, Beau Donald; W. H. Curtice. 6, 
Cleo March On; sire, March On; W. S. VanNatta & 
Son. 7, Belle Donald 61st; sire, Beau Donald; W. H. 
Curtice. 

"A marvel of a middle is carried by Amelia. Her 
head is delightful in its femininity, her spread of 
back is tremendous, its covering deep, but she fails a 
little at the tail. Heliotrope is a bit higher on the leg, 
a heifer of ample scale, grand top, neat brisket, well 
finished hind end and strong thighs. Twila is darker 
in coat and nearer the ground, with big middle, a rib 
that is arched to carry weight, a well finished head 
and horn, but not so neat in the hooks or the rump 
as Heliotrope. Domestic is a bit smaller than her 
stable-mate Heliotrope, more compact in form, of 
admirable outlines, plenty of mellow flesh and a 
drooping horn. Belle Donald 60th and Belle Donald 
61st are an impressive pair, both of size and sub- 
stance, the former smooth-fronted and square-fin- 
ished behind, broad of loin but a trifle light of 
thigh, the latter dark in coat, broad of loin and like- 
wise wide of hips, and heavily fleshed. Cleo March 
On is a heifer of remarkable width of carcass and 
depth, one of the largest-middled heifers that the 
breed has shown us. 

"Senior Yearlings. — 1, Arminta 4th; sire. Prem- 
ier; 0. Harris. 2, Iva 4th; sire, Benjamin Wilton; 0. 
Harris. 3, Eavilla; sire, Hesiod 2d; James A. Funk- 
houser. 4, Belle Donald 74th; sire. Beau Donald; W. 



HISTORY REPEATS 885 

H. Curtice. 5, Princess May 3d; sire, Princeps; 
Steele Bros. 6, Belle of Wliitebreast; sire, Dandy 
Rex; Fritz & Shea. 7, Capitola 20th; sire. Martinet; 
Gudgell & Simpson. 

"The leading position in this class was assumed 
by a heifer in the highest condition. Arminta 4th 
is a remarkable block, with pleasing countenance, 
and a smoothness that is carried uniformly through 
her make-up. It is such width of body, cover of 
flesh in the high-priced parts and neatness that give 
heifers call on such honors. Iva 4th is larger than 
her companion, with the neck vein of a feeder, fine 
head, well developed thighs, and a big middle, but 
she is not so neat about the hips. In head Ravilla 
is hardly the equal of the pair that stood above her; 
she has enough size, the rib is well let down, the 
flanks are full and the flesh is ample. Belle Donald 
74th is a great hind-ended heifer, but wants swell- 
ing out a little in the forerib. She stands on ab- 
breviated legs and her flesh in its mellowness is 
pleasing. A little more strength of neck would im- 
prove Princess May 3d, which joins to a hind-quar- 
ter of exceptional excellence a well ribbed top. 
Belle of Whitebreast shows a little darker in the 
coat than her companions on the list; she has a level- 
ness of form that is taking and her flesh is well dis- 
tributed. Capitola 20tli is low enough but scarcely 
carries the width of some of those ahead of her. 
The head is pretty and is ornamented with a set of 
incurved horns. 

"Junior Yearlings. — 1, Miss Donald 5th; sire. 
Beau Donald 5th; 0. Harris. 2, Kathleen; sire, 
March On 6th; James A. Funkhouser. 3, Mayflower; 
sire, Beaumont; Steward & Hutcheon. 4, Belle 
Donald 77th; sire, Beau Donald; W. H. Curtice. 5, 
Belle Donald 76th; sire. Beau Donald; W. H. Cur- 
tice. 6, Lady March On; sire, March On; W. S. 



886 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

VaiiNatta & Son. 7, Miss Donald 3d; sire, Beau 
Donald 5tli; 0. Harris. 

"Much wrestling produced the prizelist here. It 
would have been easier were 't'other dear charmer 
away,' but she was not. She was right there and 
silently but none the less forcibly demanding con- 
sideration. For the blue ribbon wearer it may be 
said that she is a nugget that finds her most notice- 
able weakness at the rumps. The forerib is phe- 
nomenal, the face pleasing, the veins full, the flanks 
well let down, and the back turned out of a mold 
including the hips, which are imbedded almost 'out 
of feel.' Kathleen carries a little more depth of 
rib, some greater size, but hardly the width. She 
is finished about the head and neatly put together 
in the shoulders. Mayflower was at a. double dis- 
advantage, she was short of age and a suit of hair. 
The hand found plenty of flesh to make an interest- 
ing fight with those above her, but a curly coat 
gives an advantage to the eye that is with difficulty 
counteracted by the hand. She lacks the depth of 
her competitors, but is sweet, level on top and 
rounding in her outlines, neatly finished at the tail 
and full in neck-veins. Belle Donald 77th stands 
nearer the ground than the others, is firm to the 
touch, but not neat at the tailhead. Her half sister 
Belle Donald 76th is a broad-faced big-framed 
heifer with even more weight of flesh. Lady March 
On is a deep and roomy heifer, with a little uneven- 
ness about the hooks. Miss Donald 3d is a wide- 
topped one and carries plenty of flesh where it 
should be laid on. 

"Senior Heifer Calves. — 1, Purple Leaf 2d; sire, 
Good Enough 3d; 0. Harris. 2, Beaumont's Queen; 
sire, Beaumont; Steward & Hutcheon. 3, Miss Don- 
ald 6th; sire. Beau Donald 5th; 0. Harris. 4, Dawn; 
sire, March On 6th; James A. Funkhouser. 5, 



HISTORY REPEATS 887 

Blanche 28tli; sire, Paladin; Gudgell & Simpson. 6, 
Dorinne 19tli; sire, Dandy Kex; Gudgell & Simpson. 
7, Onward 's Elsie; sire. Onward 4tli; W. S. Van- 
Natta & Son. 

"Purple Leaf 2d could win on her coat, if a prize 
were offered for a furry robe. But she has more 
substantial claims to consideration in her width and 
depth and true proportions. Finish at both ends is 
ample. Beaumont's Queen is smoothly fashioned, 
drops her flank to the limit, and shows sweet char- 
acter. Miss Donald 6th is remarkably mature of 
form, considerably larger in her middlepiece than 
the one above her, finely coated and attractive in 
her countenance. Mellowness sticks out all over 
Dawn; that yellow-red coat seems commonly to 
cover a wealth of flesh even and springy to the 
hand, and it is so in this case. Blanche 28th is of 
the same hue; she is well spread in hind-quarters 
and wide enough forward, showing a well rounded 
chine and excellent forerib. Dorinne 19th is a bit 
tall in comparison, but well let down in her ribs and 
padded in her loins. Onward 's Elsie is a somewhat 
better type, showing a lot of breadth and ample 
cover. 

"Junior Heifer Calves. — 1, Miss Donald 17th; sire, 
Beau Donald. 5th; 0. Harris. 2, Belle 17th; sire. 
Paladin; Steward & liutcheon. 3, Miss Donald IStli; 
sire, Beau Donald 5tli; 0. Harris. 4, Estella; sire, 
Princeps; Steele Bros. 5, Bonita; sire, Lord Saxon; 
Mrs. Kate W. Cross. 6, Evangeline; sire, Peerless 
Wilton 39th; H. J. Fluck. 7, Eegina; sire, Hesiod 
85th; James A. Funkhouser. 

"Miss Donald 17th and Miss Donald 18th were 
separated on the list by Belle 17th. The first named 
is sweet and sappy and well grown; her companion 
holds her width evenly, is neatly finished in her 
quarters and exceptionally good in her body. Belle 



888 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ITtli- is big-ended, wide-backed and carries a bit 
more scale. Estella is full-tliigiied and good in mid- 
dle, but not so smooth in her shoulders or her hips. 
Bonita was one of the best grown and sappiest in 
the company, an even calf in make-up with plenty 
of depth of rib. A little nugget is Evangeline and 
Eegina is on the same order. 

"Get of Sire (Four). — 1, Curtice on Beau Donald. 
2, Funkhouser on March On 6tli. 3, Steele Bros, on 
Princeps. 4, Curtice on Beau Donald. 5, Harris on 
Beau Donald 5tli. 6, Steward & Ilutcheon on Beau- 
mont. 7, Gudgell & Simpson on Beau Brummel. 

"Produce of Cow (Two). — 1, Curtice on Minnie 
H. 2, Funkhouser on Keepsake. 3, Curtice on 
Sophia. 4, Funkhouser on Dewdrop. 5, Harris on 
Iva. 6, Steele Bros, on Lady May 3d. 7, Fritz & 
Shea on Dorinda. 

"Championships. — Senior champion bull, W. S. 
VanNatta & Son's Prime Lad; reserve senior cham- 
pion, Harris' Defender. Junior champion bull, 
Steward & Hutcheon's Mapleton; reserve junior 
champion, Gudgell & Simpson's Beau President. 

"Senior champion cow, VanNatta & Son's Lorna 
Doone; reserve senior champion, 0. Harris' Amelia. 
Junior champion female, Harris' Arminta 4tli; re- 
serve junior champion, Harris' Miss Donald 5tli. 

"Grand champion bull. Prime Lad; reserve grand 
champion, Mapleton. 

"Grand champion female, Lorna Doone; reserve 
grand champion, Arminta 4th. 

"Group Prizes. — Aged herds — 1, Harris. 2, Funk- 
houser. 3, Curtice. 4, VanNatta & Son. 5, Gudgell 
& Simpson. 6, Steele Bros. 7, Anderson. Aged 
herds (females bred by exhibitor) — 1, Harris. 2, 
Funkhouser. 3, VanNatta & Son. 4, Gudgell & 
Simpson. 5, Steele Bros. 6, Anderson. 

"Young herds — 1, Harris. 2, Funkhouser. 3, 



HISTORY REPEATS 889 

Gudgell & Simpson. 4, Curtice. 5, Steele Bros. 
6, Steward & Hutcheon. 7, Harris. Young herds 
(females bred by exhibitor) — 1, Harris. 2, Funk- 
liouser. 3, Gudgell & Simpson. 4, Curtice. 5, Steele 
Bros. 6, Steward & Plutcheon. 7, Harris." 

A VanNatta Triumph. — The winning of both the 
male and the female championships at this crown- 
ing event in American showyard history with Prime 
Lad and Lorna Doone as well as at the Chicago In- 
ternational in December, was a fitting climax to the 
work of William S. VanNatta. For a quarter of a 
century he had been a steadfast follower of Here- 
ford fortunes, through adversity as well as through 
seasons of prosperity. Never carried away by his 
own successes beyond the line of safety, never los- 
ing faith in the ultimate place of good "white 
faces'' in the American cattle trade, working away 
along practical lines at all times, even when pedi- 
gree cattle were going at beef prices, his hand never 
wearied, his heart never wavered in the course of 
his work in behalf of Hereford cattle in the United 
States. Now ably seconded by his son, Frank, he 
not only had the satisfaction of receiving the high- 
f st honors of the year, but was secure in the knowl- 
edge that his work would be faithfully and intelli- 
gently carried forward. 

Death of Gov. Simpson. — As the sands of 1903 
ran out the life of one of the greatest of all the 
Hereford pioneers was slowly ebbing, and on Jan. 5, 
1904, Thomas Alexander Simpson passed over the 
great divide at the ripe age of 82 years. In the 
years 1880, 1881 and 1882 he had selected for im- 



890 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

portation by tlie firm of Gudgell & Simpson no less 
than 500 head of Hereford and Aberdeen- Angus cat- 
tle, including Anxiety 4th. He was a striking figure 
in any company, tall and imposing, with strength of 
character stamped in every feature, yet dignified, 
gentle and modest in his bearing. He was one of 
the keenest judges of cattle this country has pro- 
duced. No man was more tenacious of his opinion 
or less aggressive in its expression. He was broad- 
minded and tolerant of the judgment of others, 
while clear and firm in his own convictions. He 
was a man of such few words and so deprecatingly 
modest in his manner that first impressions needed 
revision. When it came to trading, English and 
Scotch breeders found concealed behind this quiet 
demeanor a judgment and a shrewdness which they 
had little expected to encounter. It was diamond 
cut diamond. No man left behind him in Britain a 
greater reputation for keen judgment of animal and 
price than did Gov. Simpson. It was a wonderful 
lot of cattle he selected of both breeds and no little 
of the history of the Hereford and Aberdeen-Angus 
in America originated in the operations under this 
master breeder's mind. Gov. Simpson's name 
stands high on the honor roll of the great American 
improvers of beef cattle stocks. 

DuU Days. — There is little to be said about the 
status of the trade in 1905. The business of extend- 
ing the use of purebred bulls on the western ranges 
was going on as usual, but there was an almost en- 
tire absence of speculative spirit. As a matter of 







IHH^b , jK ' s^-^mi^V ^^^^l^^^^^^^l^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l 



FRANK VANNATTA, 



892 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

fact, it is during just sucli dull periods, however, 
that foundations for future successes are always 
laid by men possessed of foresight and sufficient 
capital to make selections of good animals when 
subnormal prices prevail. The business was enter- 
ing a quiet stage, but a situation which after all 
was conducive to real progress. Still waters always 
run deepest. 

On April 25 A. C. Huxley of Bunker Hill, Ind., 
sold 40 head at $170.50, E. C. Cain of the Hoosier 
state giving $1,000 for the bull Merry Dale. The 
usual fall combination sale at Kansas City resulted 
in an average of $215.25 for 57 head. E. R. Morgan 
of Kansas gave $1,400 for the Funkhouser bull On- 
ward 18tli. At the same place in December Messrs. 
Armour and Funkhouser had a fairly good sale of 
75 head averaging $200.45, at which Messrs. J. & B. 
Miller of Iowa gave $1,105 for the Gabbert-bred 
bull Columbus 60th. 

"Individual Merit by Inheritance." — This Sotham 
slogan found marvelous exemplification at the Kan- 
sas City Royal and the Chicago International of 
1905. At the former show Mr. Comstock had first- 
prize and senior championship with Defender, son 
of Perfection, the great son of Dale. Defender had 
narrowly missed the championship honors in 1904, 
and at Kansas City a year later could not be denied 
the place. Another son of Perfection that was to 
cut a great figure appeared at this same show — the 
first-prize senior yearling shown by Mr. Huxley, 
Perfection Fairfax. In the bull calves the senior 
and junior classes were both headed by sons of 



HISTORY REPEATS 893 

Prime Lad, both shown by Messrs. VaiiNatta. The 
junior champion, Prime Lad 16th, represented the 
mating of Prime Lad with Lorna Doone. These 
shows also were full of demonstrations of the won- 
derful manner in which the Anxiety blood was com- 
ing on as shown by Curtice, Gudgell & Simpson and 
others. March On Gtli's get were again seen 
throughout the prizelist, as were also Gabbert's 
young things of the Columbus blood. At the Inter- 
national Defender was not shown, and Cargill & 
McMillan led the aged bull class and also had the 
senior champion in Fulfiller. The Prime Lads led 
in junior yearling bulls, senior bull calves and junior 
bull calves. In the cow class Cargill & McMillan's 
Heliotrope beat the pair of Belle Donalds as well as 
Lorna Doone. 

The sale season of 1906 opened with a public sale 
by Gudgell & Simpson at Kansas City on Feb. 7, at 
which 57 head registered an average of $230.50. 
Early in March Mr. Nave sold 62 head at Attica, 
Ind., at an average of $208. 

Autumn Sales of 1906.— On Oct. 24, 1906, the herd 
of Mr. Jesse Adams of Moweaqua, 111., was sold, the 
36 head w^hich remained at that time bringing an 
average of $230. The top price was $1,000 paid by 
J. W. Altman of Dubuque, la., for the bull Perfec- 
tion 3d by Dale. The next highest price was $500 
by Cargill & McMillan for Lady Real by Perfection 
3d. While these values seem ridiculously low com- 
pared with some of the great prices that had been 
paid by Mr. Adams for his foundation stock, he 




'■ — '■ — '■ — ' riioto by nndebrand 

HEUOTBOPE CAUCIEL & McMILLAXS SENIOR CHAMPION COW AT THE 
INTERNATIONAL OF 1905. 



HISTORY REPEATS 895 

demonstrated to those in attendance by actual fig- 
ures that even if the prices had been high for some 
of his original purchases, without exception every 
cow had produced offspring, from the sale of which 
the cost was paid and a profit beside. Mr. Adams 
is the man who gave the bull Disturber 139989 to 
the American Hereford cattle-breeding fraternity. 
That alone justifies a large share of the time and 
money he had lavished upon his herd. 

On Nov. 7 John Steward's cattle were sold at 
Bolckow, Mo., the 46 head averaging $198.60 and 
the yearling bull Parsifal bringing $650. On Oct. 12 
at Kansas City 47 head averaged $193.65, 0. Harris 
paying the top price of $575 for the Funkhouser- 
bred bull Onward 31st. The combination sale at 
Chicago on Dec. 12 resulted in an average of $167 
on 51 head. 

Cargill & McMillan's Great Success. — Without un- 
dertaking any detailed review of the fall fairs of 
1906 — for we must now hasten our story — it may be 
stated that Messrs. Cargill & McMillan reaped the 
highest showyard honors of the year. At Kansas 
City their best bull, Princeps 4th, was not shown, as 
it was decided to hold him back for the Interna- 
tional. Mr. Steward's Beau Mystic headed the 
senior bulls, but Cargill & McMillan won in both 
two-year-olds and senior yearlings. The young bulls 
Onward 46th and 54th, both by March On 6tli and 
of Funkhouser breeding, were blue ribbon winners 
here. Mr. Hoxie had the best senior bull calf at 
Kansas City in Peerless Perfection 10th, sired by 



896 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Perfection, but at Chicago Cargill & McMillan's 
Fiilfiller 3d was placed above him. This firm was 
first on both aged and young herds at Kansas City 
and Chicago. Princeps 4th was senior champion 
bull at Chicago. Bonnie Brae 3d was junior cham- 
pion at Chicago and Princeps 4th grand cliampion. 
Heliotrope was senior and grand champion female. 
It was a proud day for "Jimmy" Price.* 

*James Price was born in Herefordshire, England, on the first of 
November, 1869, and worked on his father's farm until 1890, when 
he started for America to fight his own battles. He had never been 
away from home before and did not know a person in America. He 
landed in Chicago on the first of July, 1890, with a few letters of 
introduction, among others one to Tom Clark. He proceeded at once 
to Beecher determined to take the first job he could get, as he had by 
this time just $10 left. When he arrived at Beecher he met Mr. Clark, 
who gave him employment. He worked on the farm that summer and 
winter, being paid $14 a month. About that time Harry Fluck bought 
out the Baker herd and rented the farm, and Price went to assist in 
the care of the cattle. 

In the spring of 1894 the young man returned to Mr. Clark, with 
whom he then remained for three years. Lars was the champion bull 
of those days. Speaking of him Price says : "I will never forget the 
day Lars defeated Ancient Briton. It was on the little LaCrosse, 
Wis., fair grounds the week before the Minnesota State Fair. Prof. 
Craig did the judging, and Lars held first place after that for three 
successive years." These were also the days of the famous sisters 
Juvenile, Jessamine and Juno. In 1896 Mr. Clark made a show at 
Madison Square Garden, and from there Price left for a trip home. 
He returned on the first of April, 1897, and hired to John Lewis of 
Shadeland, but as he was anxious to feed for show he remained at 
Shadeland but about ten months. At that time Frank Nave was mak- 
ing his start. He bought at Shadeland a few show animals and 
engaged Price. This was in March, 1898. Nave had gathered a few 
show animals together, including Dale, Atoka, Dolly 5th and Carnation. 

Referring to the conditions at Attica at the time. Price says : 
"Things were pretty unhandy the first summer, but in the fall Mr. 
Nave built a barn, the best one I ever worked in. We made a fair 
showing the first year, winning the aged herd everywhere, including 
the world's fair at Omaha, but the next year we got busy and brought 
out what I always considered the best aged herd I ever fed, winning 
everywhere. We also had the two famous calves Perfection and The- 
ressa. Perfection was the only bull that ever beat Dale while I 
handled them. That occurred at Indiana when we were showing for 
grand champion bull over all breeds and Perfection won. He was only 
a calf at the time. The judges were George Allen, David McKay and 
Mr. Pickrell, three good men. In the spring of 1900 Mr. Nave decided 
to sell out, and his sale the 17th of April in Chicago was a record- 
breaker, including, I think, the best lot of cattle I ever saw go through 

Overton Harris was then making his start in showing and now 
engaged Price. He had bought a few cattle at the Nave sale. Only 
a small show was made that year, but in 1901 Harris came out with a 
string hard to beat, winning with three herds everywhere he exhibited. 
The calf herd that year, Price claims, was the best he ever fitted. It 
was headed by Goodenough 10th and included the two famous "Amer- 
ican beauties," Lucile and Troublesome. In 1902 and 1903 Harris also 



HISTORY REPEATS 897 

Passing of Funkhouser, Steward and Scarlett.— 

The year 1906 was marked by the passing of several 
men who had exerted large influence upon Hereford 
cattle breeding in the west. 

In the decease of James A. Funkhouser the state 
of Missouri lost one of her most successful breeders. 
Pie was one of those who contributed substantially 
to the improvement which most American breeders 
believed had taken place in the western states since 
the Herefords were first largely introduced from 
England. Mr. Funkhouser was born in 1846. He 
was a feeder and shipper of live stock, and had a 
small herd of Shorthorns until 1881. While attend- 
ing the fair at St. Louis in that year he saw Here- 
fords for the first time, and they impressed him so 



made a good showing. Competition was hard, but he got a good share 
of the premiums. In 1904 at St. Louis he was "loaded up" witli good 
things, and made a great record. 

About this time Mr. W. S. Cargill, a lumberman at LaCrosse, 
Wis , was about to launch into Herefords. He had bought a few cat- 
tle, but wanted tops, so he made a trip to the Harris farms and 
wanted to buy the show herd providing Price would go with them. 
Harris was willing to sell at a price, but the price was stiff. How- 
ever Mr. Cargill was game and bought fifteen head, which Price was 
to pick out. After the International of that year the selections were 
made and "Jim" transferred the scene of his labors to LaCrosse. 
When he landed there he found the weather severe, but everything 
necessary to take care of a show herd had been provided. The first 
show made from the Cargill & McMillan herd was at Sedalia, and from 
there the herd went to Des Moines, where it won the grand champion 
herd prize over all breeds with Fulflller and four first-prize females. 
The same year they won the Armour cup at Kansas City and repeated 
the following year, which reduced it to possession. In 190fi, 1907, 1908 
and 1909 the herd still held its own. In the fall of 1908 Price became 
interested in the herd, Mr. McMillan dropping out, and the firm name 
was changed to Cargill & Price. 

In 1909, having become tired of the show business, Cargill & 
Price decided to sell out the show herd. This event took place in 
April, 1910, and involved considerable sacrifice. Price then took a 
rest, going back to the old home in Herefordshire for three months. 
On his return he purchased Mr. Cargill's interest in the cattle, rented 
the farm and started on his own account. "It was a little up-hill 
work at first," writes the veteran showman, "but I am thankful to 
say that I have now a nice little herd of Herefords and a 160-acre 
farm to put them on, and all clear. I owe what success I have made 
all to the Herefords, and strict attention to busines.s. The best ani- 
mals I ever fed were the bulls Dale, Princeps 4th, Bonnie Brae 3d 
and Lars; the best females. Heliotrope, Arminta 4th, Amelia. Betty 
2d, Dolly 5th and Miss Donald 17th." 



1 » 



898 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

favorably tliat lie decided to give tliem a trial. In 
May, 1882, he purchased from T. L. Miller, Beecher, 
111., a pair of calves — the bull Invincible and heifer 
Landscape Maid. His first experience in breeding 
was to produce cross-bred steers, using Shorthorn 
cows. He was so well pleased that he then bought 
a few Hereford females. His cross-bred steers were 
shown successfully in Chicago and Kansas City and 
sold at good prices for Christmas beef. A few years 
later he began showing breeding cattle. He was 
specially happy in his choice of breeding bulls, both 
Hesiod 2d and March On 6th proving showyard 
champions, as well as great sires. For the former 
$5,000 was refused, and an offer of $7,500 for the 
latter is said to have been declined. Much of the 
success met by the herd in the showring was due 
to the careful handling and fitting of Will Willis. 

In the death of John Steward Missouri suffered 
another real loss. He was cut down in the very 
prime of an eminently useful life. Steward was one 
of the most sane, most conscientious, most depend- 
able men ever identified with American Herefords. 
In partnership with Mr. Hutcheon he was engaged 
in building up a herd that was distinguished for 
true Hereford character and quality. 

In November, 1906, Capt. E. C. Scarlett was added 
to the list of the notable dead. He was a man of 
good birth and education, coming from the old fam- 
ily estate of Nordan Hall near Leominster, Here- 
fordshire. He was one of the many natives of that 
county who came to the west when the Herefords 



HISTORY REPEATS 899 

were being actively introduced, and at different 
times was identified with the management of sev- 
eral large establishments. He was at one time at- 
tached to the Iowa Hereford Cattle Co., and was 
for six years in charge of the Riverside Ranch at 
Ashland, Neb. Subsequently he was for three years 
head of the Bel ton Hereford Cattle Co., Belton, Mo., 
and later identified with Mr. Cook at Brookmont 
Farm. He died at Odebolt, la., on Nov. 18. 

The Hoxie and Other Sales of 1907.— The most 
notable sale of the year 1907 was that of Gilbert 
Hoxie at Thornton, 111., on June 13, when 42 head 
brought an average of $308. The bull Perfection, 
then in his eighth year, went to Clem Graves at 
$3,900.* A. W. Jenkins of Texas took Prime Lad 5th 
at $1,100. Mr. Nave sold 70 head in March at an 
average of $229.50, the top being $1,975 given by 
S. R. Waters of Missouri for the show cow Nut- 
brown 9th. In February the Avery-Hines Co. sold 
at St. Louis 63 head at an average price of $127, the 
Jamison bull Albany, that had cost $6,000 in Eng- 
land and now eight years old, selling to Edmunds, 
Shade & Co. of Iowa at $1,000. In May Mrs. Cross 
closed out her cattle at Emporia, 64 head bringing 
an average of $129. In April Giltner Bros, sold 43 
cattle at Nashville at an average of $178.80, and on 
May 2 Gudgell & Simpson realized $149.75 on 47 
head at Kansas Citv. 



*Although Mr. Graves bought Perfection at this sale for 
$3,900, Mr. Hoxie had not closed out all of his females and per- 
suaded Mr. Graves to permit Perfection to remain for a time in his 
service. Some months later Tom Clark negotiated the sale of the 
entire herd, including Perfection, to W. H. Curtice. 



900 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Giltner's imported bull Protector died in Novem- 
ber, 1907, at the age of ten years. 

Perfection Fairfax Arrives. — First it was Dale, 
then Perfection, and now the latter 's son Perfection 
Fairfax, bred by Gilbert Hoxie and sold to Mr. Hux- 
ley, who had the satisfaction of winning first with 
the ''future great" sire at Kansas City. In addition 
to that lionor Perfection Fairfax annexed at the 
Chicago International the senior bull championship, 
which at Kansas City had been sent to Prime Lad 
9th. He was shown at a weight of about 2,340 
pounds. The VanNattas were first in two-year-old 
bulls at both shows with Prime Lad 9tli. Cargill & 
Price were successful in carrying off the aged herd 
prize at both shows, and at Kansas City also had 
the young herd prize. At Chicago Mr. Brock had 
first on young herds, the get of Disturber now be- 
ginning to come forward with great promise. 

The Bargain Counter of 1908. — This was a hope- 
lessly discouraging year so far as sales were con- 
cerned, but the fall shows developed strength. 
Prices, in fact, were at the lowest ebb of this de- 
pression, a total of 936 head being passed through 
the sale ring at a general average of $116.15, as 
against an average of $123.70 for 1,358 head sold 
during the preceding year. Mr. Nave sold 98 head 
at Attica, Ind., for an average of $124. At a com- 
bination sale held at Kansas City early in the year 
170 cattle were distributed at the absurd price of 
$88 per head. The general appreciation, however, 
of the Anxiety blood was well demonstrated even in 



HISTORY REPEATS 901 

those dark days by the fact that two Gudgell & 
Simpson bulls made on this same occasion $400 and 
$430 respectively.* It was at the very bottom of 
this extreme depression that Murray Boocock of 
Virginia closed out at Chicago the herd which he 
had founded some years before at Castalia. The 
cattle were offered in ordinary field condition and 
were passed through the ring at practically beef 
prices. The imported bull Salisbury, that had been 
bought at the Sunny Slope sale, went under the 
hammer in his twelve-year-old form at $150. At 
Kansas City during the October show 52 head sold 
for an average of $173, W. J. Tod of Maple Hill tak- 
ing a number of bulls for range purposes. During 
the Chicago International 49 head sold for an aver- 
age of $160. 

It was during this period that an effort was made 
to obtain a share of the Argentine business in Here- 
fords. Secretary Charles R. Thomas of the Hereford 
association had been sent to South America to ex- 
ploit the claims of American Herefords and some 
trial shipments were made. The expenses connected 
with these experimental efforts, however, were so 
heavy that not much headway was made in opening 
up a market in that country. 

In December, 1908, W. H. Curtice bought Perfec- 



*As indicating how dull the cattle trade can he at times. Mr. 
Charles Gudgell states that some years ago he wrote a number of 
letters to various breeders offering and recommending the stock bull 
Don Quixote, then four years old, just in his prime and a sire of 
proved worth at the price of $100. He was half-brother to the cele- 
brated Don Carlos, having the same mother. Dowager 6th. But after 
Mr. Gudgell waited several weeks and received no response the bull 
was shipped to Kansas City and sold for beef, where at a weight of 
2,200 pounds he netted more than the price asked. 



902 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tion, then in liis tenth year, along with 26 of the 
best Hoxie cows and heifers. The bull had been 
successfully shown from calfhood and when let down 
after his career was ended retained his smoothness 
of flesh in remarkable fashion. The results of his 
use upon the Beau Donald herd appear in recent 
showyard history. 

A Famous Heifer Class. — The exhibits of Here- 
fords at both Kansas City and Chicago in the fall of 
1908 were altogether remarkable, contrasting 
strangely with the profound depression that had 
been experienced by the trade during the year. It 
afforded ample evidence, however, of the fact that 
the fortunes of the breed were still in the hands of 
men who believed in the future of the ' ' white faces. ' ' 
The quality of the exhibits this year was indeed 
superb, a fine illustration of this fact being the 
senior heifer calf class at Kansas City, where there 
were twenty-eight entries, every one of real show- 
yard character. The society distributed ten extra 
prizes in addition to the eight regular ones, and by 
way of good measure added a reserve prize. The 
winner of the lowest place had been a second-prize 
calf at a strong state fair that year. It was, as a 
matter of fact, a real record-breaking display of 
Hereford excellence — a sensational demonstration of 
the continued success of American breeders in de- 
veloping cattle of the very highest type and all the 
more impressive because brought forward at a time 
when the immediate financial rewards of pedigree 
breeding were, to say the least, unsatisfactory. 



HISTORY REPEATS 903 

Harris had first in aged bulls with Onward 31st, 
son of March On 6tli, a bull weighing around 2,400 
pounds. Mr. Nave's Prime Star Grove, a very 
smooth low-standing bull, stood next and above 
Prime Lad 9th. In two-year-olds Cornish & Patten 
were first on Beau Carlos after a hard fight with 
Harris, who was showing Dislodger by Disturber. 
Brock had first in senior yearlings on Distinction by 
Disturber. Giltners headed the junior yearlings 
with British Highball, by imp. Britisher and they 
also won the senior bull calf prize on Beau Colum- 
bus. Warren T. McCray, Kentland, Ind., a man 
who was later on to make notable Hereford history, 
participated in this memorable show, and drew first 
prize in aged cows on Prairie Queen. McCray had 
acquired Perfection Fairfax during the year, and 
while the bull did not win in the strong senior class, 
he stood at the head of the herd with which Mr. Mc- 
Cray finally defeated the VanNattas, Harris, Cargill 
& McMillan and Giltner, in the order named. Van- 
Nattas' Prime Lads had first in the class for get of 
sire, and McCray 's lot by Perfection Fairfax was 
second. 

An Omen of Better Days. — The Hereford show of 
1908 gathered strength as it moved forward, and by 
the time the Chicago International was reached in 
December it called forth the following high en- 
comium : 

"The Hereford breed has just brought to a glo- 
rious conclusion the most sensational show season 
ever written into its history. Marshalling their 
forces in marvelous array at the opening of the cam- 



904 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

paign, breeders of the 'white faces' have marched 
forward conquering and to conquer, sweeping tri- 
umphantly through the circuit with banners proudly 
flying, challenging stockmen of America to witness 
tiio spuerlative degree of perfection to which the 
studious breeders of this grazier's race of cattle 
have brought their favorites through long years of 
devoted endeavor. There has been nothing half- 
hearted about this campaign. It was almost Gideon- 
like in its generalship. There was no sounding of 
trumpets before the strife, but when the cohorts 
were uncovered at Des Moines, the surprise of the 
attack admirably served to strengthen the battle 
array which in deliberate fashion must be recorded 
as the most effective campaign the breed has ever 
conducted. 

"Figures may make more pertinent this line of 
comment. Five years ago the Hereford contingent 
numbered only 94 at the International. Even last 
year the numerical strength of the exhibit had risen 
only to 183, while the week just closed witnessed 
entries that reached almost to two hundred and a 
half. The pulses of this camp have been stirred to 
unwonted vigor of beat, and the genial glow of a 
stimulated circulation has been felt throughout the 
live stock world. AVhen in the presence of these 
wonderfully-ripened 'white faces' mention is made 
of this year of drouth and feed shortage one must 
rub his eyes in bewilderment. Never has fitting been 
carried so far. Nay, rather should we draw a finer 
distinction and say that no year has revealed such 
artistic fitting in the Hereford camp. There is a 
remarkable freedom from that over-ripe condition 
which reveals prolonged lingering at the meal tub. 
For the most part entries are in impressive flesh and 
most attractive bloom, so that the eyes of the en- 



HISTORY REPEATS 905 

thusiast may be freely feasted in an inspection of 
tlie magnificent arrays of animals of this breed." 

The judging on this occasion was done by Rob- 
ert H. Hazlett of Eldorado, Kans., Boog-Scott 
of Coleman, Tex., and Thomas Mortimer. In the 
aged bull class a newcomer. Preceptor, by Princeps 
8th and shown by Dale & Wight, was assigned pre- 
mier position over Prime Lad 9th, Prime Star Grove, 
Bonnie Brae 3d and Harry Fluck's Ben Bolt in the 
order named. So good a bull as Perfection Fairfax 
was here set down to eighth in this notable line of 
twelve. Bonnie Brae 8th, shown by J. C. Robinson 
& Son, Evansville, Wis., headed the two-year-olds 
and was subsequently made senior champion, the 
junior bull championship falling to Prince Rupert 
17tli, shown by Luce & Moxley, Shelby ville, Ky. 
McCray was again first in the aged cows with 
Prairie Queen, but VanNatta's first-prize two-year- 
old Prime Lad heifer Margaret was made senior 
champion female, the junior championship falling 
to Donalda, Clem Graves' first-prize senior heifer. 
The VanNattas had both the aged and young herd 
prizes, Giltner was first in calf herds, Cargill & Mc- 
Millan showed the first produce-of-cow and the Van- 
Nattas were first with their Prime Lads on four 
progeny of one sire. 

This heartening show was the beginning of the 
end of the doldrums into which the trade in pedi- 
gree Herefords had now for several years been wal- 
lowing. 



CHAPTER XXII. 
PROSPERITY REGAINED. 

We have now but to deal with the great revival of 
the comparatively recent past, and our story ends. 
In this we must be brief for obvious reasons. In the 
lirst place, the tale already grows too long. In the 
second place, present-day readers do not require, 
nor probably desire, as full information as to the 
herds and contests of today as is rightly demanded 
in the case of the events of more remote periods. 
There is personal knowledge of contemporary af- 
fairs. History deals more with the past than the 
present. Let us, therefore, sketch rapidly.* 

An Upward Trend in 1909. — The general average 
of public valuations on offerings aggregating 1,400 
head of registered cattle in 1909 was $127.05. This 

♦We shoulf] not pass over the events of 1909 without notiner the 
decease of Tom Smith of Crete, 111., which removed from the ranlts of 
tlie Hereford breeding fraternity a man of Scottish birtli who had 
rendered yeoman service in the up-buildinj? of the interest in the 
"white faces" in the United States. Tie managed a Hereford herd at 
Grimley, Worcestershire, England, before coming to the States. He 
first located at Manhattan, Kans. Soon after this he went to Bcecher, 
III., as herd manager for T. L. Miller, and later on had charge of the 
herd of A. C. Reed, which was maintained for some years at Goode- 
now. Upon leaving this work Mr. Smith established himself on a 
farm at Crete, where he bred Herefords successfully for many years. 
He was a thorough cattleman, and while he never figured conspicu- 
ously in the sale and show lists, in a quiet way he supplied much 
good material to the breed, including Rose Rlos.som, the dam of the 
$10,000 Dale, and of Columbia, the grandam of Disturber. He was a 
keen judge of values. At Clark's di.spersion sale, for example, he 
purchased a cow and bull calf for $200 which he afterwards disposed 
of for $1,400. He was a natural-born trader and many a carload of 
cattle pas.sed through his hands to the mutual advantage of both buyer 
and .seller. Tom had few superiors as a judge, and his services were 
In constant demand at the leading shows, confidence in his integrity 
as well as in his intelligence being general. 

906 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 907 

was significant, not so much because of the slight 
appreciation in the general level, but as an evidence 
that the inevitable reaction was setting in. Early 
in the year Giltner Bros, sold privately the young 
show bull British Highball to L. B. Burnet of Fort 
Worth, Tex., at $1,500. In March Cornish & Patten 
sold 117 head at Osborn, Mo., for an average of 
$206.90, the Anaconda Copper outfit of Montana 
paying $1,080 for Beau Carlos. At Kansas City on 
March 9 in a combination sale 54 head averaged 
$160, Mr. Cornish giving $775 for the yearling bull 
Onward 71st. On March 24 Mr. Nave closed out 
his cattle, 99 head in all, at an average of $140, 
D. E. McConnell of Nebraska taking out the Prime 
Lad bull Queen's Lad at $600. 

S. W. Anderson of West Virginia, who had been 
for many years the leading defender of the faith in 
the Virginias, dispersed his herd, making an aver- 
age of $140 on 122 head. In September various Ken- 
tucky breeders contributed 35 head to a sale at 
Louisville that averaged $165.70, R. C. Hardeman of 
West Virginia paying the top price of $1,025 for 
Curtice's Beau Donald 87th. In October the com- 
bination offering at Kansas City averaged $166.50 
on 49 head, at which Mr. Cudahy gave $800 for 
Prime Lad 38th. At Chicago in December 48 head 
were disposed of at $191, William Reynolds of Wyo- 
ming buying the Giltner show heifer Florence Acro- 
bat at $700 and C. A. Tow of Iowa taking Makin's 
Principal 6th at $960. 

Prime Lads at a Premium.— Enthusiasm again ran 




PRIME LAD 9TH 213063, BRED BY W. S. VANNATTA & SON. 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 909 

high at the shows of 1909. The state fairs revealed 
overwhelming excellence in the Hereford section, 
and the annual round-up at Kansas City in October 
was indeed a battle royal. 

The extraordinary career of the VanNatta cattle 
in the American showyard is essentially one of the 
dominant notes of this volume. Indeed, such con- 
tinuity of successful effort finds few parallels in 
bovine histories, and no record that fails to reflect 
this fact would present the truth. Prime Lad ' ' The 
Great" was now dead, but how his sons were march- 
ing on! At the Kansas City and Chicago shows of 
1909 Prime Lad 9th was first-prize aged bull and 
headed the first-prize aged herd over the Cargill & 
Price, McCray, Makin Bros, and J. L, VanNatta 
group. In the get-of-sire contest four Prime Lads 
were first, not only at Kansas City but at Chicago, 
in competition with the get of Perfection Fairfax, 
Beau Paragon, Princeps 4th, Young Beau Brummel 
and Prince Eupert 8th. At Chicago Prime Lad 9tli 
not only headed the senior bull class but was senior 
champion as well. The great Prime Lad cow Mar- 
garet headed her class at both big shows, and at 
Kansas City was both senior and grand champion 
female. Then there was the two-year-old heifer Iva. 
Moreover, McCray 's Prime Lad 16th youngsters 
were pulling ribbons in the senior bull calf classes 
and the best of these. Gay Lad 6th, was one of a 
pair of calves sold to '*Joe" Green for the Charles 
P. Taft ranch in southeast Texas for $2,500, the 
transaction taking place at the International. And 



910 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

''there were others." Prime Lad 16th and Folly's 
Lad were in the money in the aged bulls and Prime 
Lad 38th was wearing a ribbon among two-year- 
olds. Then there was that rare heifer Rosette; and 
all the while John Letham was as proud and happy 
over it as were the owners. Why not? And the 
Lads were to be heard from again another day.* 
Let it not be forgotten, nevertheless, that wrapped 

*Jolin Letham was born at Stonohor.se, Lanarkshire, Scotland, In 
Marcli, 185!>. Me came to this country wlien twenty-one years old and 
stalled from llie sliip's side with $2.50 in liis pocliet. Two years later 
lie was employed at Youngstown, C, feeding Shorthorns. From there 
he went to Princoton, 111., where he had charge of the Shorthorns and 
Percherons of the late Dr. W. H. Winter. Thence he went to Lea- 
land, Tenn., among the Sussex of Overton I^ea, and here found his 
first chance to enter the showyards of the west — fir.st in 18S7 with 
Mayfern, a 2, ISO-pound Sussex cow, again in 1SS8 witli Rosewood, the 
champion yearling and grand champion carcass steer, following in 1889 
by George, winner of "Tlie Breeder's Gazette" challenge shield for best 
steer bred and fed by exhibitor. 

In the spring of 1891 Jolm Letham went to Mr. VanNatta's at 
Fowler, Ind., where he fed Hickory Nut, winner of "The Breeder's 
Gazette" sliield and grand championship, and also the champion herd 
of three steers at the Chicago Fat Stock Show. In 1892 he fed Jerry 
Rusk, champion at Des Moines and reserve at Chicago Emergency 
Show. He was still with Mr. VanNatta in 189.3, the World's Fair 
year at Chicago, when Miss Beau Real .3d headed the aged cow 
class at eight years and the beautiful Annabel was first-prize two- 
year-old and champion Hereford female (Ihe reserve going to Miss 
Beau Real 3d). While it was not Let ham's good fortune to show 
Cherry Brandy at the Fat Stcok Show that fall, he left him ready for 
the fi-ay after two year.s' careful training, although the steer had 
never been shown up to that time. 

From 1893 until 1900 Letham was not in the arena, but on the 
latter date he came forward with the two sensational calves from 
Mr. Henry's — The Woods Principal and Prince Edward, champion calf 
and reserve champion. In 1901 The Principal was grand champion 
and Prince Edward champion grade of the show. This same year 
Prime Lad was in his yearling form, all three animals being from one 
crop of calves. In 1902 Prince Edward was grand champion at Des 
Moines and stood second to Shamrock at Chicago, while Valiant Lad 
was champion yearling and reserve grand cliampion. In 1903 Prime 
Lad won his way to grand champion honors in his two-year-old form, 
but the herd was dispersed and a new lot had then to be bred or 
bought. In 1904 came Little Joe, grand champion at St. Louis, and 
Rare Lad, junior champion bull at Chicago. 

Meantime, in the hands of Mr. VanNatta Prime Lad went on and 
became the St. I^ouis Exposition and Chicago International grand cham- 
pion of 1904. In 190.'i, while still with Mr. Brock, Letliam gained the 
two-year-old and Hereford bullock championship at the International 
with the great steer Silver Lad, by Kansas Lad Jr. T^etham's skill 
was well established in the handling of this bullock. Three shows 
were made with him. He had second as a cUf and yearling, and in 
his two-year-old form at a weight of over 1,700 pounds was the cham- 
pion white-faced bullock of the year. 

In more recent years Mr. I.,etham has greatly added to his laurels 
through the great records made by the Disturbers. 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 911 

up in rich furry robes in these same great classes 
were stars of the first magnitude from the other 
great central sources of the time. McCray was com- 
ing strong on Perfection Fairfax stock. Jim Price 
was forcing the fighting with the Princepses, Ful- 
fillers and Bonnie Braes. Harris was crowding all 
winners with his Beau Donald 5ths, besides supply- 
ing Dislodger and Repeater by Disturber. The Gilt- 
ners, Clem Graves, Dr. Logan, Luce & Moxley and 
J. H. & J. L. VanNatta were also in the thick of the 
fray with finely fitted cattle. 

It was truly a wonderful display, that show of 
1909 — bloom everywhere with excessive obesity 
clearly, and properly, at a discount as compared 
with the olden days. 

More Ground Regained in 1910. — The improve- 
ment in prices noted in 1909 continued throughout 
the following year, 1,214 head of cattle going under 
the hammer at an average of $144 per head. There 
were no sales of special note, but the tone through- 
out was better. On Feb. 22 Mr. McCray sold 47 
head at Kentland, Lid., at an average of $175, the 
top price being $500, reached in two cases, first by 
the show heifer Donalda and again by the yearling 
bull Fairfax 18th, by Perfection Fairfax. J. P. Cud- 
ahy got the show heifer Agnes at $410. On the 24th 
and 25th of February at Craig, Neb., Minier Bros, 
disposed of 76 head at an average of $216.40, the 
outside figure being the $775 paid for the stock bull 
Peerless Perfection 22d by Frank Ulrich, who for 
ten years past had been in charge of the herd and 



912 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

who secured at this sale some of the best breeding 
cows for the founding of a herd on his own account, 
Thomas Nelson of Nebraska took the two-year-old 
Pretty Lad at $625 and also the yearling Defiance at 
$600. On April 14 at Chicago Cargill & Price dis- 
posed of their cattle at what was felt at the time to 
be a great sacrifice. The 48 head averaged but $148. 
Bonnie Brae 15tli, a capital two-year-old bull, went 
to A. L. Weston of Colorado at $990 after a contest 
with 0. Harris. Mr. Weston bought freely of the 
show cattle. The famous cow Miss Filler 2d by Ful- 
filler went to Harris at $540. C. A. Tow of Norway, 
la., got Princess 2d at $400. At the usual October 
sale at Kansas City 69 head went through the ring 
at $166,45. There were no animals of unusual ex- 
cellence in the offering. On Nov. 15 Overton Harris 
sold 69 head at Harris, Mo., at an average of $181. 
While no sensational prices were paid the bidding 
was steady, no animal falling below the $100 mark 
and three reaching $500. The top was $570, paid 
by the Commercial Land Co. of Oklahoma for Rose 
Maid, then nursing a bull calf by Repeater. The 
Bessemer Iron Co. of Alabama bought some of the 
best cattle, including Prime Lad 48th for $500. J. F. 
Gulick of Missouri took Harris' Prince 90tli, a win- 
ner at the shows of 1909, at $500. Frank Nave was 
also among the bidders upon this occasion. At the 
customary combination sale during the Chicago In- 
ternational 41 head brought an average of $197.50. 
This occasion was notable for the fact that the firm 
of E. N. Casares of Buenos Aires, Argentina, paid 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 913 

the top price of $G00 for each of two bulls, Mr. Rob- 
inson's Bonnie Lad 11th and Mr. Brock's Discounter. 

Another Richmond in the Field. — The Prime Lads, 
Beau Donalds and other popular favorites were still 
very much in evidence at the shows in the autumn 
of 1910, but tangible evidence was now presented 
of the appearance of an important new factor in 
western Hereford breeding operations. We refer to 
the get of the bull Disturber, bred by Jesse Adams 
and selected by John Letham for Mr. Brock. At 
Kansas City in October Overton Harris won the 
senior bull championship with the two-year-old Re- 
peater, son of Disturber, and here was the beginning 
of another new and highly important bloodline in 
the western Herefords. Repeater at two years old 
was a bull of impressive bulk and substance, great 
rotundity of body, immense loin and heavy hind- 
quarters. Still he was stoutly pushed upon this oc- 
casion by Giltner's Beau Columbus, a bull of some- 
what similar conformation and very even from end 
to end. The aged bull class had been won by J. 0. 
Bryant, Savannah, Mo., with the good bull Curtis, 
by Maynard, showing excellent character and par- 
ticularly heavy quarters, besides being mellow in 
his flesh. Prime Lad 9tli w^as now turned down to 
second. He had been on top for so long that he was 
of course about due to relinquish the crown. Mr. 
Tow of Iowa was now coming into the great public 
competitions as a factor to be reckoned with and 
received third here in the aged bull ring on Prin- 
cipal 6th, one of the low-legged kind, well spread. 



914 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Fortunately for the north Overton Harris had 
bought Gay Lad 6th before the bull had been started 
for the Taft ranch. At this show he was as for- 
tunate with the McCray bull as he had been with 
Repeater, receiving first in the senior yearling bull 
class and subsequently the junior bull champion- 
ship. McCray forged to the front in the get-of-sire 
class with a quartette by Perfection Fairfax. He 
also had first in aged cows and the senior female 
championship on the great cow Lady Fairfax 4th. 
At some of the state fairs VanNatta's Margaret had 
defeated her, and it was a question all through the 
season as to where the superior merit really reposed. 
In two-year-old heifers Luce & Moxley scored with 
Princess R 10th, daughter of Prince Rupert 8th, 
after a hard battle with McCray 's Lady Fairfax 9th. 
It was in the senior yearling class, however, that a 
really sensational female developed in Dr. Logan's 
Scottish Lassie, by Young Beau Brummel. She was 
one of the ripest and richest specimens ever seen in 
the Kansas City showyard, and later in the week 
received not only the junior but the grand cham- 
pionship of the female classes. Another stunning 
presentation was that of the Harris Princess twins, 
daughters of Beau Donald 5th out of a Beau Brum- 
mel cow. These remarkable heifers bore away both 
the blue and red ribbons in a strong class. 

At Chicago in December the Bryant bull was not 
shown, and Prime Lad 9th resumed his old-time 
position at the head of the senior bulls, McCray win- 
ning second on Principal 6th and Brock third on 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 915 

Distinction by Disturber. Repeater repeated his 
Kansas City winning in the two-year-old bull class, 
as did also Gay Lad 6th in senior yearlings. When 
it came to the championships Mr. Harris had the 
rare honor of receiving the senior and grand cham- 
pionships on Repeater and the junior championship 
on Gay Lad 6th. John Letliam, representing Mr. 
Brock, whose herd was now established at Lake 
Geneva, Wis., here made a phenomenal record for 
these extraordinary Liternational competitions by 
winning first in junior yearling bulls on Discounter, 
first in junior yearling heifers on Disturber's Lassie 
3d, first in senior heifer calves on Miss Annabel by 
Distinction, and first in junior heifer calves on Lady 
Viola by Disturber, besides the young herd prize. 
Mr. McCray again scored with Lady Fairfax 4th 
and won the get-of-sire competition with his Perfec- 
tion Fairfaxes. Harris won the aged herd prize, 
and Scottish Lassie was junior and grand cham- 
pion female. 

Improvement Continues. — There were 1,203 head 
I of pedigree Herefords put through the sale rings of 
I 1911 at an average price of $160. This was an aver- 
I age advance of $16 per head over a like number 
I during 1910, and indicated that the tide was still 
running slowly towards better things. That this 
was the case was all the more plain because of the 
fact that the offerings of the year were not notably 
attractive. 

The ball was opened at a combination sale at Den- 
ver, Colo., on the 19th of January, when 50 head of 



916 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

bulls were sold at an average of $182. The best 
figure made was $475 for Mr. A. L. Weston's young 
bull Carlos 2d, taken by Mousel Bros. The Mata- 
dor Company paid $400 for The Heir's March 
On. One of the largest indivdual buyers was 
M. K. Parsons of Denver. On Feb. 16 Mr. Hutch- 
eon's herd was dispersed at Bolckow, Mo. At 
this sale the average of $326.50 on 13 bulls was en- 
couraging, and the general average was $233.20. 
The bull calf Tempter 3d was taken by Makin Bros., 
formerly of Kansas, but now again breeding Here- 
fords at Grandview, Mo., at $740. Mapleton 4tli was 
bought by J. Secor of Iowa at $725. Handsome Lad, 
a double Beaumont, went to J. Wolf of Missouri at 
$500, and Beaumont himself, nearly eleven years old 
but looking very fit, was taken by H. D. Cornish of 
Missouri at $305. A. B. Cook, Helena, Mont., was a 
good bidder for females, his lot including the great 
producing matron Queen B, by Beau Brummel, from 
which Mr. Hutcheon had previously sold six calves 
for a total of $3,400. On Feb. 17 J. 0. Bryant sold 
81 head at Savannah, Mo., for an average of $141.70. 
A. B. Cook was also a bidder at this sale. The top 
price was $725 made for the Kansas City prize bull 
Curtis, purchased by Hann & Mayne of Iowa. This 
price was disappointing. Beaumont 2d sold for $700 
to a Kansas steer feeder. On Feb. 18 J. A. Larson 
sold at Everest, Kans., 62 head for an average of 
$126.95. A. B. Cook was in attendance at this sale 
also and was a good bidder on the best animals of- 
fered, securing ten head. In this case the bulls again 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 917 

outsold the females, always a good indication of 
rising values. 

Warren T. McCray sold at Kentland, Ind., on Feb. 
22, 1911, 70 liead for an average of $206. The prices 
were steady at around $200, with nothing going be- 
yond $550, the price paid by J. F. Jones, Granville, 
0., for the cow Mercedes. The young show bull 
Beau Real 15th fetched $515, the top for bulls. J. P. 
Cudahy was a good bidder, securing Corrector Fair- 
fax at $450. At Kansas City on March 7 and 8 59 
bulls sold in a combination sale for an average of 
$174. The best figure reached here was $500 for the 
yearling bull Guy, consigned by J. A. Gibson. On 
March 10 W. J. Davis & Co., Jackson, Miss., held a 
sale at their farm which averaged $220, the bulls 
selling for $241. J. J. Early of Baring, Mo., reported 
in April the private sale of the five-year-old prize- 
winning bull Sunny U. J. to Williams Bros., Ran- 
dolph, Wis., for $700. Gudgell & Simpson offered 
62 head at Kansas City on April 28. The cattle had 
no great preparation and the general average was 
$141.30, 18 bulls averaging $172.20. The highest 
price paid was $330 for Beau Gaston by George J. 
Anstey of Iowa. 

On Oct. 27 Cyrus A. Tow disposed of 49 head at 
an average of $181.90. The 15 bulls averaged 
$208.70. Mr. Tow during the year purchased the 
entire S. L. Brock herd, including some 75 head, 
thus acquiring possession of the highly prized blood 
of Disturber. Some of the get of this bull were in- 
cluded in this sale and they averaged about $110 



918 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

above the general average. The top of this offering 
was $505, given by A. J. Minish for the yearling bull 
Dismora 2d. Thomas Mortimer topped the females 
by paying $375 for Lady Peel by Disturber. Mr. 
Cook of Montana got the show heifer Miss Laura B 
at $300. Mr. McCray was also a buyer at this sale. 
At Fowler, Lid., on Nov. 2 and 3 a disappointing 
sale was made by the executors of the estate of AVil- 
liam S. VanNatta, at which 114 head averaged $184. 
Here, as at most other sales of the year, the bulls 
did better than the females, 24 head averaging $263 
and the top price being $1,005 paid by 0. Harris for 
Donald Lad 7th. Messrs. J. H. & J. W. VanNatta, 
relatives of the deceased who were breeding good 
cattle independently at Lafaj^ette, Lid., paid the top 
price for a female — $505 for Prime Lady 2d. Mr. 
McCray was the most extensive purchaser, making 
investments which subsequently returned handsome 
profits. As the sale was to close the estate, no guar- 
antee of any kind could be given, and tliis fact of 
course militated against high prices.* 

*The weH known herdsman, Tom Andrews, who had commenced 
his career with the first VanNatta show herd, assisted in this sale, 
and tliis therefore is a fitting opportunity to refer to his worlt in gen- 
eral. Tom has had a long and interesting identification with the 
fitting of sliow and sale cattle in leading western lierds. Like most 
c? the other English boys who came into our cattle business in the 
'SO's, he was born in Herefordshire. This important event in his 
career occurred on Oct. 6, 1861, in the parish of Dorstone. His father 
was a farmer, who in 1869 leased a 4.T0-acre tract at Winforton. where 
he remained for seven years. In 18 76 Mr. Andrews Sr. leased a 
place of similar size at Weston Court, Pembridge. Reverses over- 
taking liis father in 1880, Tom felt compelled to get out and hustle 
for himself, so in April, 1881, we find him approaching that Mecca 
of most of the Herefordshire lads in that day — Beecher, 111. — in 
quest of work. 

He engaged with T. L. Miller, and in the fall of 1882 went to 
Fowler & VanNatta to help George Waters in the fitting of the 
show cattle sent out successfully on the circuit that year. After this 
experience Mr. Andrews went to Earl & Stuart for twelve months, 
and from there to Kansas City with Frank Crane, who was at that 




Photo by Hildebrand 
ARAMINTA 4TfI, OF THE CARGILL, & McMILLAN SHOW HERD. 




Photo by Hildebrand 

DISTURBER 139989— IN BREEDING CONDITION— BRED BY JESSE ADAMS 
AND USED BY S. L. BROCK. 



920 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

During tlie Kansas City sliow 50 head, mostly 
bulls, were sold at an average of $262. As far as 
bulls were concerned, this exceeded the average of 
prices at the sale of 1910 by $95. This was partly 
due to the presence upon this occasion of ranchmen 
buying for export to Hawaii. The highest price of 
the sale was $1,050 for the two-year-old show heifer 
Banza, contributed by R. H. Plazlett, El Dorado, 
Kans., and bought by J. P. Cudahy. Cudahy had 
in the meantime acquired possession of Dr. Logan's 
famous champion heifer Scottish Lassie. At this 
sale Laredo Boy was sold by his breeder, C. L. 
Browning of Laredo, Mo., to Carl Miller, Belvue, 
Kans., at $610. He had won a red ribbon in the 
show. On Nov. 9 Makin Bros, sold 63 head at an 
average of $146.30, the 12 bulls averaging $208.95. 
They were topped by Paragon 12th taken by John 
Gosling at $450. J. P. Cudahy bought Celandine 2d, 

time maintaining a sale stable in charge of George Waters. While 
here Tom went to Quebec to take charge of 60 head of cattle then 
in quarantine that had been imported by George Leigh. These were 
Intended for the Lee & Crane farm near Independence, Mo. From 
the quarantine station Andrews came to the Chicago Fat Stock Show 
with four steers, one of wliich, a purebred Hereford, won the two- 
year-old championship over all breeds. 

This was perhaps the first job of fitting for which Tom had full 
personal credit, and he naturally felt proud of his achievement upon 
that occasion. After this he returned to the Crane farm at Inde- 
pendence. In the autumn of 1886 he went to England, and after his 
return was for about three years with Z. T. Kinsell of Mt. Ayr, la. 
In 1895 he was with the F. A. Nave show herd, and in 1896 was en- 
gaged by Mr. J. H. Miller, Peru. Ind., to take 2 3 head of cattle to 
Buenos Aires, South America. In 1902 he showed the F. L. Stude- 
baker herd. Subsequently he fed for the Messrs. VanNatta of La- 
fayette for two years. In 1908 he revisited England and on his return 
assisted with the preparation of Frank Nave's cattle for the closing- 
out sale at Chicago. After this engagement he went to Michigan, 
showing a herd for Merritt Cliandler, and in 1910 was with the Cvrus 
A. Tow cattle. Once again he went back to Herefordshire, and on 
returning to America was again with the herd of W. S. VanNatta 
& Son, staying with the firm until the closing-out sale after Mr. 
VanNatta's death. It thus appears that Andrews was helping with 
the first Herefords Mr. VanNatta ever exhibited, as well as with the 
last. In 1913 he was with the W. H. Curtice cattle in Kentucky, and 
at the present time (1914) is in the employ of the Messrs. Berry, 
Mt. Vernon, la. 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 921 

the junior heifer show calf, for $500. It was an- 
nounced at this sale that Claude Makin, who had 
been the guiding hand in the firm's Hereford breed- 
ing operations for thirty years, would continue in 
the business, retaining the bull Beau Paragon and a 
few females. Needless to say, this announcement 
was received with special satisfaction, because in 
the course of his long and honorable identification 
with the "white faces" he had been a consistent 
adherent of "quality" cattle and had gained the 
goodwill of all with whom he had come in contact. 
At the combination sale during the Chicago Inter- 
national 51 head made the gratifying average of 
$286.30. Twenty-one females averaged $344, this 
mark being reached largely through the sale of the 
junior champion heifer Perfection Lass to Mr. Cud- 
ahy at $2,000. C. M. Largert of Texas bought Mr. 
McCray's bull calf Victor Fairfax at $1,000, and 
William Andrews & Sons of Morse, la., gave the 
same amount for Jim Price's yearling Bonnie Brae 
37th. George Leigh was a good buyer upon this 
occasion, taking a number of good bulls for the west- 
ern trade. 

Death of William S. VanNatta. — The veteran 
breeder, William S. VanNatta, died at Fowler, Ind., 
on May 26, 1911, at the mature age of eighty-one 
years. He was born in a log cabin on the prairies 
of Tippecanoe Co., Ind., on Sept. 27, 1830. These 
pages are so full of references to the great Herefords 
bred by Mr. VanNatta that it is unnecessary to 
enter into further details concerning his operations 




THE LATE WILLIAM S. VANNATTA'S HOME AT FOWLER, IND 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 923 

in this connection. Suffice it to say that, everything 
considered, he has had no superior as yet in the 
ranks of American breeders of Hereford cattle. . The 
dispersion of the old herd has already been referred 
to. In ''The Breeder's Gazette" for June 7, 1911, 
the author of this volume endeavored to pay a suit- 
able tribute to Mr. VanNatta's memory, from which 
we may here extract the following: 

"Mr. VanNatta will live in American agricultural 
history as one who contributed heavily to the sum 
total of progress registered in his chosen field dur- 
ing the span of his activities. His career as one of 
the greatest cattle breeders this country has yet pro- 
duced abounds in inspirations for those who would 
follow in his footsteps. But the one mountain peak 
standing out in bold relief in the outlines of his 
progress is unswerving tenacity of purpose. One 
can but admire the indomitable pluck, the infinite 
patience that characterized his unfaltering devotion 
to the cause he had espoused throughout all the al- 
ternating periods of adversity and depression. The 
lesson of his life is just this: It pays to stand by 
one's colors; it pays to keep one's head during 
'booms,' and one's nerve during depressions; it pays 
to be ruggedly honest always. The fact may as well 
be admitted first as last that, as a people, we are 
not possessed in high degree of that quality of 
dogged persistence that finds probably its best na- 
tional expression in the life of Gen. U. S. Grant. 
William S. VanNatta became convinced in the early 
'70 's that the 'white faces' were the best beef cattle 
of the day, and in their cause he enlisted not for 
'ninety days' but 'for the war'; and upon that line 
he fought it out to a finish that not only brought 
fame to himself but honor to the Hereford name." 



924 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

The Judgments of 1911. — There was the usual pre- 
liminary skinnishing- at the state fairs of 1911, with 
various changes in the rating at the hands of differ- 
ent judges. The Kansas City Royal this year found 
the new Secretary of the American Hereford Asso- 
ciation, R. J. Kinzer, in charge of the Hereford ex- 
hibit as superintendent, Messrs. Shade and Hazlett 
being the other two members of the managing com- 
mittee. The judges were Capt. Robson of Canada, 
S. W. Anderson of West Virginia and Edward J. 
Taylor of Michigan. 

In the class of ten aged bulls Giltner Bros, were 
first on Beau Columbus, Makin Bros.' Paragon 12th, 
that had been very successful earlier in the season, 
being here turned down to fourth place. J. H. & 
J. W. VanNatta were second on Tippecanoe, an im- 
pressive bull forward, with drooping incurved horns 
and fine spread of back. Beau Columbus was uni- 
versally admired for his good breed character, great 
evenness from end to end, strength of hind-quarter 
and fullness of twist. McCray came into third place 
with Fairfax 13th. In the two-year-old bulls Harris 
had an easy victory with Gay Lad 6th, that proved 
to be quite the sensation of the showyard year so 
far as Hereford bulls were concerned. Sired by 
Prime Lad 16th, son of old Prime Lad, and out of 
Sister Perfection, own sister to the champion bull 
Perfection, Gay Lad 6th was regarded as a more 
spectacular proposition than either of the champions 
whose names ornamented his ancestral tree. Fair- 
fax 16th, shown here by Mr. Cudahy, was almost as 




^. C. Huxley 



G.h.Moxie 



926 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



fii 



sensational. His beautiful front and wonderful fin 
isli all around rendered liim an outstanding bull in 
any company. He was both senior and grand cham- ( 
pion. Another remarkable youngster, Cudahy's 
Corrector Fairfax, son of Perfection Fairfax and 
Likely by Corrector, headed a class of seventeen 
senior yearlings and was subsequently made junior i 
champion. He had a beautiful coat, grand front and 
quarters that left nothing to be desired — another 
one of the many top-notchers now coming so fre- 
quently from Mr. McCray's herd. Scottish Lassie 
was senior and grand champion cow and VanNatta's 
Donald Lass 9th, first-prize senior heifer ealf, wa^ 
junior female champion. 

At Chicago under the judgment of Abram Renick 
and George Leigh Beau Columbus again headed the 
aged bulls. Paragon 12th, that had passed into the 
possession of W. A. Dallmeyer of Jefferson City, 
Mo., moving up to second place. Messrs. Robinson 
received third on Bonnie Brae 8th. Gay Lad 6th 
repeated his Kansas City victories, heading the two- 
year-old bulls and attaining the senior and grand 
championship. Corrector Fairfax duplicated his 
Kansas City victories. 

In the female section Scottish Lassie was still the 
reigning favorite, again winning the senior and 
grand championship. The junior championship fell 
to Luce & Moxley on Perfection Lass, a heifer with 
a great top, beautifully balanced and of most at- 
tractive femininity. 

Auction SaJes of 1912. — During 1912 there were 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 927 

957 Herefords disposed of at public sale at an aver- 
age of $180.40. This was an advance of $20 per 
head over the previous year. During the Denver 
show in January 46 head fetched an average of 
$182.35. On Feb. 22 Mr. McCray sold 70 head for 
an average of $255, 20 bulls averaging $330 with 
none of them going higher than $680, w^liich price 
was paid for Fairfax 13th by a cattle company 
operating in Old Mexico. On Feb. 29 at Grand 
Island, Neb., Mousel Bros, and G. G. Clement dis- 
posed of 44 head at an average of $201.80, on which 
occasion the young bull Beau Mousel was bought 
by Mr. DeWitt of Colorado Springs for $1,000. Mr. 
DeWitt had also been a good buyer at the McCray 
sale. On March 8 and 9 at Council Grove, Kans., 
Jones Bros., who were dissolving partnership, sold 
158 head at an average of $128.70, bulls again 
outselling the females, the 22 males averaging 
$172.50. At a sale made by W. J. Davis & Co. of 
Mississippi on March 14 42 head averaged $163.50. 
A combination sale was held at Kansas City on 
March 26 and 27, but the offerings were not of the 
highest grade and the average on 116 head was but 
$116.35, w4th a top of $410 for a yearling bull con- 
signed by the Funkhouser estate. On April 12 at 
Kingsley, la., Messrs. Edmunds, Shade & Co. sold 
52 head at an average of $150, the best price being 
made by the yearling bull Beau Albany, sold to go 
to Canada at $500. 

During the Kansas City show in October a lot 
of well conditioned cattle were offered, the 49 head 



928 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

averaging $303.90 and no exceptional prices being 
included. A top of $710 was paid by J. M. Curtice 
for Prince Rupert 39tli, consigned by Luce & Mox- 
ley. Dr. Logan bought Beau Caldo, bred by Rob- 
ert H. Hazlett, at $680. On Oct. 22 0. Harris & 
Sons made a good sale of 64 head which averaged 
$314. The two bulls Donald Lad 7th and Prize- 
winner made $1,000 each. Gay Lad 8tli brought 
$1,025 and Gay Lad 2d $1,500, the latter price being 
paid by W. M. Braddock of Nebraska. The bull 
average here was $464. Five Gay Lad 6tli bulls 
averaged $772. On Oct. 24 Gudgell & Simpson sold 
50 head at Kansas City for an average of $177.60, 
the bulls averaging $254.30 and the top being $460 
for Bright Lord. On the following day C. B. Smith 
sold 50 head at Fayette, Mo., for an average of 
$127.50. Nearly half of these went to Montana. 
Giltner Bros, sold 50 head at Shelbyville, Ky., on 
Oct. 30 at an average of $176.70, the bulls making 
$224. The yearling bull Beau Boston went to Texas 
at $500. At Chicago on Dec. 4 36 head averaged 
$325, the $1,000 notch being reached by the cow 
Prime Lady 2d, sold by J. H. & J. W. VanNatta 
to R. A. Thompson of Alberta, Canada. The highest 
price for a bull was $975 for Donald Rex by Mr. 
Zwick of Colorado. On Dec. 17 at Harlan, la., 
Hann & Mayne sold 59 head for an average of 
$152. The chief attraction at this sale was Beau 
Perfection 9th, taken by Mr. Cudahy at $1,000. 

Fairfax 16th and Scottish Lassie. — Again passing 
by the ebb and flow of awards at the state fairs, 




Photo by Hildebrand 
BEAU FAIRFAX 3683GO. BRED BY W. T. McCRAY. 




Ptioio by UUdebrand 
THE CHAMPION FAIRFAX 16TH 316931, BRED BY W. T. McCRAY, SHOWN 
BY J. P. CUDAHY AND SOLD TO A. B. COOK. 



930 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

we may summarize the sliow season of 1912 with 
the statement that the chief honors of the year, 
the Kansas City and Chicago championships, were 
reaped by Mr. Cudahy's Fairfax 16th 316931 and 
Scottish Lassie. The former had stood second to 
Gay Lad 6th in the two-year-old class at both the 
Royal and the International of 1911, while the Las- 
sie had been senior and grand champion female. 
Fairfax 16tli was bred by Mr. McCray. Sired by 
Perfection Fairfax he was out of Cherry Donald 
by Beau Donald 33d, the second dam being Mary's 
Cherry by Cherry Boy, son of old Fowler. He 
therefore represented a fine blending of the blood 
of the champions of other days, and in him surely 
all that was best in his ancestry lived again. At 
Kansas City under Thomas Mortimer Fairfax 16th 
was first in aged bulls, senior and grand champion 
bull and headed the first-prize herd. Scottish Las- 
sie headed the aged cows and was again senior and 
grand champion female. 0. Harris & Sons ran away 
with the junior championships on the wonderful 
senior bull calf Repeater 7th and the senior heifer 
calf Miss Gay Lad 6tli. Mr. Tow had a remarkably 
fine lot of young cattle on exhibition, largely the 
get of Disturber, and gained high places in the prize- 
list. 

Coming up to the Liternational in December Mr. 
Cudahy was still unbeatable, Fairfax 16th again 
being first-prize aged bull, grand champion and the 
head of the first-prize herd. Mr. Tow stood second 
with his low-set masculine bull Standard, by Bonnie 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 931 

Brae 8tli. The Giltners were third on Britisher Jr., 
showing much of the scale of his famous sire, once 
champion in this same ring. Corrector Fairfax, the 
junior champion of 1911, led the two-year-olds and 
Mr. McCray was second with another bull of his 
own breeding — Byron Fairfax. In senior yearling 
bulls the VanNattas were first on Graceful Lad and 
Hazlett was second on Bonnie Lad 26th, by Bonnie 
Brae 8th. In junior yearling bulls Cudahy's Beau 
Fairfax was first, and Tow's Perfection Jr., by Per- 
fection, was second, with Hazlett 's Bocaldo third. 
In senior bull calves Messrs. Harris were easily first 
with Eepeater 7th, also taking second on Gay Lad 
9th. Luce & Moxley headed the junior bull calves 
with Prince Eeal by Beau Real 15th. 

The place next to Scottish Lassie in the aged cow 
class was assigned to the VanNattas' Prime Lady 
2d, McCray having third on Gay Lass 5tli. In two- 
year-old heifers Cudahy headed the line with Per- 
fection Lass, Tow's Disturber's Lassie 4th being at 
her side. In the championship rings the Kansas 
City verdicts were approved in the case of Fairfax 
16th, Repeater 7th and Scottish Lassie, but the junior 
female championship was here sent to Miss Re- 
peater 11th instead of to Miss Gay Lad 6th, the 
former having been awarded first prize in the junior 
heifer calf class. Miss Gay Lad 6th, the Kansas 
City champion, had been placed second in senior 
calves to Cudahy's superb plush-coated Pearl Don- 
ald by Beau Donald 40th. 

Higher Levels Reached. — For the third consecu- 



932 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

tive year the Herefords sold at auction in 1913 real- 
ized the highest average attained by any of the 
beef breeds, a total of 1,311 head bringing $259.30 
as against $220.35 for Shorthorns. It should be 
noted, however, that as a rule about twice as many 
Shorthorns as Herefords are sold publicly each year. 

The year opened auspiciously in the west by a 
capital sale held during the Denver show on Jan. 23. 
The success was due in good part to the liberal buy- 
ing of Mr. A. B. Cook of Helena, Mont., w^lio took 
out the three-year-old bull Heir's March On 2d 
359789 at $1,350. Bred by T. F. DeWitt of Colo- 
rado Springs, he had won the bull championship that 
week. He was sired by The Heir, he by Beau Don- 
ald 17tli. Another youngster by this same bull was 
taken by D. Firm & Son, La Veta, Colo., at $1,250. 
Six other bulls by The Heir brought a total of 
$2,590. The highest-priced female was Defender's 
Lassie 2d, taken by Mr. Tow of Iowa at $600. 

At Grand Island, Neb., on Feb. 14 and 15 another 
successful sale was held under the management of 
Mousel Bros.; 114 head sold for an average of $221, 
the 73 bulls averaging $241 and the 41 cows $186. 
Beau's Contender, consigned by Mousel Bros, and 
sired by Beau Mischief, topped the sale at $950, go- 
ing to Wm. Hutcheon of Missouri. The bull calf 
Beau Lindell 2d was taken by Gudgell & Simpson 
at $925. 

McCray's Big Average. — On Feb. 26 at Kentland, 
Ind., Mr. McCray had the satisfaction of selling 76 
head for an average of $525, the females averaging 




WAKREN T. McCUAY. 



934 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

$410 and the 27 bulls averaging $740. For several 
years Mr. McCray had been making Hereford show- 
yard history, particularly with the get of Perfec- 
tion Fairfax. Nine sons of this bull averaged $1,460 
upon this occasion. Mr. Cudahy paid $2,500 for 
Crusader Fairfax. Thompson Bros., West Point, 
Neb., gave the same sum for Duke Real, out of a 
daughter of Perfection Fairfax. C. A. Tow paid 
$2,450 for Byron Fairfax, Dr. Logan $1,650 for Rus- 
sell Fairfax, J. I. Moffat, Carroll, Manitoba, $1,575 
for Perfect Fairfax, Charles Adams, Dickinson, 
N. D., $850 for Albany Fairfax and Watson & Puck- 
ett, Apple River, 111., $725 for Prince Fairfax. Con- 
rad Kolirs, the veteran Montana ranchman, pur- 
chased a bunch of good bulls at this sale. The day 
after this event Mr. McCray sold at private treaty 
Beau Perfection lltli to Downie & Sons of Alberta 
for $1,750, the prize-winning calf Real Fairfax to 
A. L. Weston, Golden, Colo., for $2,000 and a month- 
old calf by Perfection Fairfax — a full brother to 
Byron Fairfax— for $1,000.* 



♦Asked for a statement as to how he became interested in 
Hereford cattle Mr. McCray has supplied the following interesting 
story: 

"I can hardly remember when I first became interested in 
cattle. My parents have told me that when I was a little boy in 
kilts I developed an early instinct for cattle. My favorite game 
was riding a stick horse and driving "cattleoes," as I called them 
at that time. My father handled a great many feeding cattle and 
I simply inherited my love for them. I can well remember when 
a small boy of going with my father to the home of Mr. W. S. 
VanNatta at the old Hickory Grove place to see his cattle, when 
he was in business with Mr. Fowler. The impression vs'hich those 
big broad-backed thick cows made at that time still remains with 
me. I was so enthusiastic about them that I earnestly pleaded with 
my father to buy two or three and take them home. He was not 
influenced to any appreciable extent by my pleadings, however, 
though J can well remember making a vow that I would some 
day have a herd of my own. 

"After I grew to maturity and engaged in business for myself, 
and had acquired several acres of land, I concluded that it was 
about time for me to indulge in my desire to own some good 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 935 

Other Mid-west Sales. — At Kansas City on March 
4 and 5, a sale under the management of R. T. 
Thornton developed a good demand for bulls, 56 
selling for an average of $274, the general average 
on males and females combined being $242. A 
steady range of values rather than exceptionally 
high prices prevailed. J. A. Shade sold 49 head 

cattle. Accordingly, when VanNatta & Son advertised a sale of 
purebred cattle in the fall of 1905 I went over to Fowler. I in- 
tended to buy one or two head but when the sale was over I 
found myself the owner of five head of cows with three calves 
at foot. That winter the cattle were cared for by a farm hand. 
The next spring- I realized I must have a bull, and inasmuch as I 
could hardly afford to keep a good bull for five cows I went to 
the sale of Mr. Huxley, at Bunker Hill, and purchased seven cows 
and a bull (Lord Improver). I had only ordinary farm help look- 
ing after the cattle, but by the fall following my purchase from 
Mr. Huxley I was forced to the conclusion that if I was going to 
handle cattle I must have a man who was experienced in the 
business. By this line of reasoning I also concluded that if I 
was going to have an experienced man at a higher cost I must 
have enough cattle to keep him employed. That fall ISIr. Sotham 
was holding a series of sales at the cattle pavilion in Kankakee. 
I attended one of these and from the dispersion sale of Mr. Bul- 
lard I purchased eighteen head of splendid cows. By that time 
I was getting into the cattle game right. I then hired a first- 
class man in the spring of 1906. 

"I watched the development of the herd that summer. My 
business instinct soon told me that while I might grow a few 
cattle for my own enjoyment if I was going to make any mark 
in the world I must become an exhibitor. I must get acquainted 
with cattlemen and have cattlemen acquainted with me. I also 
found that I must purchase and add to my herd the best bull I 
could find. That fall I visited the state fair at Indianapolis and 
watched the judging of the Hereford classes. After the ribbons 
had been tied which proclaimed Prime Lad 3d the grand champion 
bull and Prairie Queen the junior champion female of the show, 
I followed Frank VanNatta to the barns and asked, "Frank, what 
will buy Prime Lad 3d and Prairie Queen?" And he replied, 
"Thirty-three hundred dollars." This almost took mv breath 
away but after I had sufficiently recovered I said, "Why, Frank, 
you don't mean it, do you?" "Yes," he said, "I mean it," and I 
could not take off a dollar. I finally secured an option on the two 
animals until the next week, as I wanted to think it over for a 
while. I reasoned it all out and eventually went over to Mr. 
VanNatta's farm and closed the deal. I had heard of a good cow 
out in Illinois and I sent my herdsman over to look at her with 
authority to buy. He found an outstanding animal in the cow 
Phoebe, which we developed and showed so successfully in the 
fall of 1907. 

"That was my first season out and I only showed five head: 
Prime Lad 16th at the head of herd; Phoebe, the grand champion 
female; Prairie Queen, a two-year-old; Diana Fairfax, a yearling, 
and a calf by Lord Improver. With this aged herd I made my 
debut into fashionable Hereford circles. I mention this to show 
that with animals of proper merit one can compete with the most 
renowned exhibitors, even if he is a beginner and unknown. That 



936 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

at Kingsley, la., on March 6 which averaged $294. 
At this sale 26 bulls averaged $308 and 23 females 
$283. The highest price here was $780 paid by 
Thomas Mortimer for the young bull Beau Match- 
less 382372. J. B. Ashley, Audubon, la., paid $725 
for the bull Eex Dorian 323948. George J. Anstey, 



year Phoebe was grand champion in almost every show and 
Prairie Queen was the reserve champion, and their places were 
accorded them without mucli contention. In the spring of 1907 
Prime Lad 3d took sick and died after an illness of but a few 
days. This was a sad blow to my expectations, as I had paid 
$i',500 for him and had received but little benefit from his use, 
having but thirteen cows in calf to his service. 

"I concluded that I could not afford to turn backward, as I 
had collected an unusual lot of females and had built barns and 
had arranged my pasture for a cattle business. So I commenced 
to look around for a suitable successor to the late head of my 
herd. I addressed fifteen letters to the prominent breeders of 
Hereford cattle, asking if they had for sale an outstanding tvyo- 
year-old bull. I found them to be very scarce that year and 
after investigating the most interesting prospects I decided that 
Prime Lad IGth presented the greatest possibilities as a sire and 
show animal. I used him that season and the next fall. I was 
not sure of my judgment on him as a sire, so I looked around 
for the bull that sired calves which appeared to me to be the 
best that were being shown. After visiting a few shows I de- 
cided that the coming sire was Perfection Fairfax. I immediately 
opened negotiations with his owner, Mr. Huxley, and found that 
he could not be bought without my taking over the entire herd. 
This I did, counting Perfection Fairfax in the deal at $5,000. 
Tliis was at a time wlien cattle were selling low. I afterwards 
bought the entire herd of Clem Graves, thereby securing Beau 
Real together with about twenty-five grand matrons of excellent 
quality and breeding. The well known principle of breeding, 
that the sire is half the herd, has been more than demonstrated 
in my experience. 

"Prime Lad 3d died before he had an opportunity to contribute 
much to Hereford history. Prime Lad 16th also died early in 
life but in the two years that I used him proved his value as a 
sire and had he lived until old a^e his name would have gone 
down in history as one of the greatest of sires. He imparted to 
his offspring that size and quality, that level smoothness, that 
beautiful head and character, that boldness and style so much 
desired. His son, the grand champion Gay Lad 6th, shows the 
superlative character and quality he transmitted, and his daugh- 
ters are uniformly large, smooth, well balanced cows. 

"The record made by that grand champion and sire of grand 
champions — Perfection Fairfax — contributes a page of Hereford 
history tliat is truly remarkable, and today he stands the unchal- 
lenged king of Hereford sires. The uniformity of his descend- 
ants in all particulars, their excellent character, their general 
pleasing- make-up. their ability to put on flesh with even smootli- 
ness, and their good bone and feet have distinguished them and 
stamped them as a remarkable family, clearly illustrating what 
influence a strong prepotent sire will have in a herd. Beau Real, 
a grandson of old Beau Donald, also had the faculty of iinparting 
great uniformity to his offspring and his use added much strength 
to my herd. I have recently added the two-year-old Farmer to my 
list of herd bulls and I am expecting great results from his use." 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 937 

Massena, la., gave $575 for Beau Dover. On March 
18 Mr. Anstey sold at South Omaha 50 head for an 
average of $146. At a combination sale held at 
Omaha on April 16 under the management of W. N. 
Rogers 69 head sold for an average of $161, the 55 
bulls making around $168. At East St. Louis on 
April 22 a combination sale under the management 
of Sydney B. Smith resulted in an average of $174 
on 36 head of cattle. On April 29 Taylor & Welty 
sold at Wanatah, Ind., 51 head for an average of 
$182. 

A Big- Deal on the Range. — One of the most im- 
portant transactions in recent years in the range 
country was the sale in May, 1913, by Montie Blev- 
ins of his herd at North Park, Colo., to go to Mon- 
tana at $75 per head with all calves of the crop of 
1913 counted. As there were between 700 and 800 
head of cattle involved in this deal it was regarded 
as a notable event. The sale was all the more ex- 
ceptional because of the fact that there were around 
150 head of yearling heifers in the herd and no 
young bulls at all; the bull calves having already 
been contracted for. These were of course unregis- 
tered cattle, but Mr. Blevins had practically brought 
them up to a purebred basis. 

Fall Sales of 1913. — The usual sale at Kansas City 
during the American Royal resulted in an average 
of $388 on the 46 head offered, 27 bulls averaging 
$474. They were a good lot and the demand was 
excellent. The top of this sale was $1,975 paid by 
0. Harris & Sons for the second-prize senior bull 



938 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

calf Vernet Prince 4tli, that had been snccessfully 
exhibited by W. J. Davis & Son of Mississippi.* J. B. 
Burkett of Hereford, Tex., gave $750 for the yearling 
Proctor Onward. Spooner & Son, Mondamin, la., 
paid $700 for Perfect Donald. On the following 
day Gudgell «& Simpson sold 46 head of females 
for an average of $232. 

On Oct. 22 0. Harris & Son sold at Harris, Mo., 
68 head for an average of $373, the 29 bulls aver- 
aging $518. This good sale resulted largely from 
the high quality displayed by the get of Gay Lad 
6th and Repeater. Gay Lad 12th, by Gay Lad 6th 
out of a Beau Brummel dam, topped the sale at 
$2,600, being bought by Johnson Bros, of Colorado. 
Repeater 18th, just passed twelve months old, 
brought $2,100 from A. Christensen of Eagle, Colo. 
Gay Lad 9th was bought by E. H. Taylor, Jr., 
Frankfort, Ky., at $1,500. Gay Lad 13th and Gay 
Lad 15th brought $900 each, J. B. Gillette, Marfa, 
Tex., taking the former and J. E. Thompson, Mar- 
tinsville, 111., the latter. The top for females was 
$550 for Princess Repeater, also bought by Mr. Tay- 



*The Messrs. Davis put a herd of purebred Hereford cattle 
on La Vernet Stock Farm in January, 1910, by the best Prime 
Lad and Anxiety cows they could get. They placed at the head 
of the herd the show and breeding bull Point Comfort 14th 337488, 
now five years old. The calves produced by him have fully met 
their expectations. They bought McCray Fairfax, a great son of 
Perfection Fairfax, to breed on the daughters of Point Comfort 
14th, and the few calves to hand demonstrate that this is a good 
cross. They say: 

"Hereford cattle excel all other beef breeds for this climate. 
They are great rustlers and great breeding- cattle. They stand 
th-? long summers and fatten in the winters, go out March 1 on 
grass in good shape and are money-makers and soil-builders. We 
predict that in less than five years in tiiis climate, where we can 
produce two crops on the same land, thereby making cheaper 
feeds and as good cattle, that the south will be able, with Here- 
ford cattle, to make beef for the world." 




OVEIITON HARRIS. 



940 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

lor. Mr. Cliristensen took Princess Kepeater 3d 
at $510. 

At the International sale at Chicago 46 head aver- 
aged $561, the 26 bulls exposed bringing an average 
of $626.70. The top at this sale was $2,200 for the 
senior bull calf Standard 11th, taken by A. B. Cook, 
Helena, Mont. James Chesney of Evanston, Wyo., 
gave $2,100 for the two-year-old bull Bonnie Lad 
28th; C. G. Cochran & Son, Plainview, Kans., gave 
$1,130 for Prince Rupert 50th; Thomas Mortimer 
paid $785 for Royal Mail, and W. T. Jones of Texas 
took Diamond's Donald at $875. The highest-priced 
female was Defender's Lassie, taken by 0. Harris 
& Son at $2,050. Mr. Taylor of Kentucky gave 
$1,250 for the two-year-old heifer Bonnie Lass. On 
Dec. 8 W. E. Hemenway & Son sold 33 head at 
Steward, 111., for an average of $154, the top being 
$500 paid by Meier Bros., Bellvue, la., for Prime 
Star Grove. 

William Andrews & Sons and James Price sold 
at Morse, la., on Dec. 17 17 bulls for an average of 
$321 and 21 females at an average of $269. Eleven 
head of polled Herefords sold at an average of $332, 
the entire sale averaging $314. Mr. Price's Bonnie 
Brae 69th, a double grandson of Bonnie Brae 3d, 
was bought by 0. Harris & Son for $925. The, 
Messrs. Andrews had been devoting their attention 
for some time to the development of the polled Here- 
ford type and sold upon this occasion the two-year-: 
old polled bull Prime Grove for $1,025, tlie buyer 
being Henry Smith of Nebraska. Another polled 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 941 

bull by the same sire went to Guy Jones of Missouri 
at $600. 

Fairfax 16th and Beau Perfection 9th at $7,500.— 
In the month of August, 1913, Mr. McCray made one 
of the great private deals of Hereford history, buy- 
ing the entire J. P. Cudaliy herd at Belton, Mo., con- 
sisting of 437 head, and including the sensational 
winners at the big shows of 1911 and 1912 — the bulls 
Fairfax 16th, Beau Donald 75th, Beau Fairfax, Cor- 
rector Fairfax, Crusader Fairfax and Beau Perfec- 
tion 9tli. 

After this transaction was closed Mr. A. B. Cook 
of Helena, Mont., whose purchases of high-class 
cattle had for several years previous been one of 
the features of the trade, bought 32 head of the 
top Cudaliy cattle for the sum of $18,000, including 
Fairfax 16th and Beau Perfection 9th at $7,500, the 
30 females being figured at $350 each. 

Many other illustrations of the keen demand for 
good Herefords could be cited from the records of 
private sales made during the year 1913. The ac- 
tivity in the trade in the west was specially marked, 
reflecting the steady trend towards higher values 
for beef cattle on the hoof at all leading markets. 
Scharbauer Bros, of Texas, who had for many years 
been breeding cattle of a character specially adapted 
for the range trade, reported that they had sold for 
shipment to the Dakotas in one lot thirteen carloads 
of bulls numbering 429 head, the trade involving: 
between $30,000 and $40,000. During the fall of 
1913 Mr. Richard Walsh, former manager of the 



942 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Adair rancli, visited the west and purchased 15 head 
of bulls for shipment to British South Africa. 

A Champion From the South. — An interesting ex- 
periment in Hereford breeding in the lower Missis- 
sippi Valley has been going on for a number of 
years under the direction and ownership of W. J. 
Davis, Jackson, Miss. At the International show 
at Chicago in December, 1913, Mr. Davis had the 
satisfaction of gaining the senior and grand cham- 
pionship for bulls on Point Comfort 14tli 337488, 
bred by Oscar L. Miles of Fort Smith, Ark. It is 
true that Mr. Harris did not exhibit upon this occa- 
sion, having dropped out of the race after the Kan- 
sas City Eoyal, where he had won both the junior 
and grand bull championships with Repeater 7th 
386905. Nevertheless, the southern champion had to 
meet and defeat at Chicago such bulls as McCray's 
Corrector Fairfax, Luce & Moxley's junior cham- 
pion Prince Real 396530, Beau Fairfax and Prince 
Rupert 50th.* Point Comfort 14th on the side of his 
sire ran through Patrolman 4th 133915, bred by 
Messrs. Ikard of Texas, to the Beau Brummel bull 
Patrolman of Gudgell & Simpson breeding. The dam 
of Patrolman 4th was Armour Poppy, bred by K. B. 

*Mr. Moxley supplies these facts concerning the founding of 
the Luce & Moxley herd: 

"When my father decided to give up active farming on 
account of his health, Mr. Luce, my brother-in-law. bought the 
farm, and we founded the firm of Luce & Moxley. He wanted to 
put the farm in taluegrass, and raise some kind of stock. We 
debated this question for some time, and then decided on Hereford 
cattle. Mr. Luce has spent most of his life in the cigar business, 
being a member of the firm of Powell & Smith Co. until he sold out 
to the American Cigar Co. and became vice-president of it. After 
about two years he resigned, and has since been interested in 
several companies in New York City. He tries to get to Ken- 
tucky once a year for about six weeks, as he loves the farm and 
his stock." 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 943 

Armour from Beau Brummel Jr. Tlie new cham- 
pion's mother was Lady Christine, bred by S. L. 
Brock and sired by Disturber out of a daughter of 
Kansas Lad Jr. He therefore represented a rich 
combination of the best northern blood and was indi- 
vidually of a low-set, rugged type — one of the block- 
iest bulls seen since the days of Prime Lad 9th. 

At this same show Perfection Lass was senior and 
grand champion female. In James Hendry's hands 
she had gone on satisfactorily since passing into Mr. 
McCray's possession, and was now a beautiful speci- 
men of latter-day American Hereford breeding.* At 

*The three Hendry brothers, of Scotch extraction, have had 
successful careers in this country. At one time they were all 
in the employ of Charles Gudgell. First George came over from 
England about 1892 and worked for Gudgell & Simpson con- 
tinuously until 1909, when he left to g-o into business for himself. 
Early in 1914 he was engaged by J. M. Curtice to fit his herd 
for show. George was in full charge of Gudgell & Simpson's show 
herd and the breeding herd at Independence from 1898 to 1909, 
and Mr. Gudgell states that he was instrumental in producing 
an J fitting some of the best show animals ever turned out from 
that establishment. Among other celebrities in his charge during 
that period might be mentioned Dandy liex. Mischievous, Mischief 
Maker, Modesty, Bright Donald and Priscilla 5th. Mr. Gudgell in 
speaking of George Hendry's record with the Anxiety cattle re- 
marks: "He was and is not only a successful feeder, but also 
has the ability to prepare animals for the showring without 
injuring their productiveness. He possesses all the faithful 
Qualities of the best Scotch herdsmen, and at the same time is 
always kind and gentle with his charges, never impatient but 
even-tempered, and he seems to transmit this to the animals them- 
selves." 

James Hendry, now in charge of the Orchard Lake herd of 
Mr. McCray, has been with four leading establishments and has 
a record to his credit of which he may well be proud. He was 
first with Gudgell & Simpson, leaving them for a year or two 
to work for J. M. Curtice. He then returned for a few seasons 
to the Gudgell & Simpson cattle. When he first went to this firm 
he was on the Greenwood Farm. Druid was then a yearling, 
assisted in service by a brother to Don Carlos. After the World's 
Fair that bull and Beau Brummel were sent to the Greenwood 
Farm and Lamplighter was placed at the head of the Independence 
herd. Jim's second period of service with Gudgell & Simpson 
began in the fall of 1900, when he went to their sale barn at 
Independence. Among the good bulls there at that time was 
Beaumont. In 1901 he went to take charge of the Beau Donalds 
for Mr. W. H. Curtice. When Mr. Curtice hired Hendry he told 
him that he was particularly anxious to have him develop some 
good females if possible, for the reason that while the Beau 
Donald bulls were acquiring much reputation there was complaint 
that his heifers were not so good. Hendry certainly succeeded in 



944 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the Kansas City Royal Mr. Cook of Montana had 
exhibited a senior heifer calf named Joy, by Beau 
Carlos, that received, notwithstanding her youth, the 
female grand championsliip over Perfection Lass. 

These shows are so fresh in the minds of con- 
temporary breeders that we leave to some future 
historian the task of going into detail as to the 
truly extraordinary character of the exhibits of 1913 
as a whole, and of the champion cattle in particular. 
They will not soon be forgotten by those who were so 
fortunate as to see them. 

Opening- Sales of 1914. — Interest in the sales for 
the new year centered as usual at the Denver show 
in January. Fifty-eight head were disposed of at 
this place on Jan. 21 at an average of $223, prices 

demonstrating- that the old bull's daughters could also give a 
good account of themselves, for the Belle Donalds 44th and 59th 
were winners at St. Louis as produce, and others such as Belles 
28th, 56th and 60th were also shown with success. Speaking of 
the old bull's death and the subsequent purchase of Perfection 
Mr. Hendry says: 

"When I came back from the fairs one fall Beau Donald was 
so lame he could not get around and he never recovered, dying 
that winter. We then tried to buy Perfection Fairfax, but failed. 
After this we went to Hoxie's and got 'Uncle Tom' Clark to close 
for us a deal for the purchase of Perfection. I believe today that 
the Perfection cross is one of the best in our inodern Herefords. 
I left Kentucky in January, 1911, and old Perfection died in 
February. I then came to Mr. INIcCray's where Perfection Fairfax 
reigned supreme. There have been many good cattle sold from 
this herd in the four years that have since elapsed. I can but 
feel that I have had a little better chance than some of the other 
'cattle boys', as not many of them have had such good material 
to work with as the get of Beau Brummel, Beau Donald, Perfec- 
tion and Perfection Fairfax. I sincerely hope that imp. Farmer's 
get will do as well or better, if that were possible." 

The third Hendry brother was the last to come out from 
Enffland, but he has been in the employ of -Mr. Gudgell for the 
past eighteen years and during the last eight years has been in 
charge of the breeding ranch at Edmond, Kans. Prior to that 
time he was manager of the Gudgell farm in Anderson Co., Kans., 
for seven years. Mr. Gudgell says he is a splendid cattleman, but 
has devoted most of his time to the management of the farming 
operations, which include harvesting 1,000 acres of alfalfa and 
the production of over 1,000 acres of corn and small grains, with 
sreneral supervision over the breeding herd of Herefords. This 
is William Hendry — good cattleman, excellent farmer and splendid 
handler of men. 

Good work this, for one family! 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 945 

being steadily good rather than sensational. On 
Jan. 28 Mousel Bros, sold at Cambridge, Neb., 57 
head for an average of $348, the top being $1,025 
for the young bull Mischief 40th taken by John 
McConnell, Somerset, Neb., who also bought the 
highest-priced female, the cow Germania 2d, at $710. 
Messrs. Williams & Lisle sold at Atlantic, la., in 
January 38 head for an average of $167, the best 
price being $575 for Beau Maid to G. W. Vinton 
of Exira, la. At Grand Island, Neb., Feb. 19-20, a 
combination sale resulted in an average of $193 on 
114 cattle. The best figure reached was $510 paid 
by N. D. Meysenburg of Nebraska for the bull 
Freighter 14th. On Feb. 18 George J. Anstey made 
an average of $206 on 19 bulls and $201 on 41 fe- 
males, M. A. Spooner & Son paying the top figure, 
$495, for Miss Albany 5th. 

McCray's $604 Average.— Warren T. McCray 
made a sale at Kentland, Ind., on Feb. 25 at which 
the extraordinary average of $604 was made on 75 
head. Fifty females averaged $577 and 25 bulls aver- 
aged $659. The wide distribution of the cattle and 
the steady range of values at a high level served 
to emphasize again the extraordinary success attend- 
ing the handling of this herd. The champion Cor- 
rector Fairfax was bought by J. F. Gulick of Jasper, 
Mo., at $3,750. King Fairfax was taken by Ed. 
Kreisher, Mount Vernon, la., at $1,050. Don Fair- 
fax, just turned twelve months, fetched $1,025 from 
L. 0. Hill, Orange, Va., and Dale Fairfax brought 
$1,000 from A. E. Cook, Odebolt, la. The champion 




o/.HVanJVatta, 



o/oAnWVanJVaiU, 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 947 

show COW Perfection Lass, with heifer calf at side, 
brought $2,450, the successful bidder being L. A. 
Clifford, Oshawa, Ontario. The heifer Pearl Donald 
went to A. A. Berry & Son, Mt. Vernon, la., at 
$1,575. W. H. Hunter, Orangeville, Ontario, bought 
Nora Fairfax at $1,425, and E. H. Taylor of Frank- 
fort, Ky., paid $1,350 for Tei:esa Donald. 

Steady Bidding Continues. — On March 3 and 4 at a 

sale from the Funkhouser, Gabbert and other herds 
at Kansas City 114 head averaged $210. W. A. Dall- 
meyer, Jefferson City, Mo., received the highest 
price, $1,000, from Joseph Schmidt, Tipton, Kans., 
for the young bull Beau Dare. On March 6 J. B. 
Asliby, Audubon, la., sold at South Omaha, Neb., 
59 head at an average of $210, the 30 bulls averaging 
$220. On March 5 j: A. Shade sold 71 head at 
Kingsley, la., for an average of $296, 32 bulls aver- 
aging $300, with a top of $1,500 paid by Wallis 
Huidekoper, Willis, Mont., for the bull Bright Lord 
by Beau Picture. The next best figure was $700 
paid for Beau Shade by Henry Strampe of Paullina, 
la. 0. S. Gibbons & Sons sold 50 head for an aver- 
age of $267 at Atlantic, la., on March 11, the show 
cow Priscilla bringing $730 from Mousel Bros. On 
March 17 W. J. Davis & Co. sold 41 head at Jack- 
son, Miss., for an average of $394.85, with a top of 
$1,300 for the cow Lady Druid 3d, taken by W. P. 
Connell, Baton Rouge, La. The young bull Vernet 
Prince 15th was bought for the Louisiana State 
University at $1,050. At this sale 7 head of young 
.bulls sired by Point Comfort 14th, the International 



948 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

champion of 1913, averaged $521.45. The 14 bulls 
averaged $458.90. 

On March 24 Ben Broughton sold at his Sunny 
Slope Farm near Lakeview, la., 52 head for an aver- 
age of $256. The show bull General B, a son of 
Beaumont Jr., brought the best price, $950. He was 
taken by E. Gorman of Dougherty, la. On March 
27 the Mossom Boyd Co. sold at Chicago a lot of 
polled Herefords, 19 bulls averaging $445 and 60 
females $234, the entire lot averaging $280. The 
show bull Bullion 4tli sold to the Renner Stock Farm, 
Hartford City, Ind., at $2,025. The bull Gemmation 
2d sold to G. E. Pettigrew, Flandreau, S. D., at 
$1,350. The cattle were widely distributed, the most 
extensive buyers being the Beaver Lake Ranch Co. 
of Michigan. At Kansas City on March 31-April 1 
113 head of cattle contributed by various western 
breeders averaged $171. J. W. Johnson of Childress, 
Tex., paid the top price of $625 for the two-year-old 
bull Woodrow Wilson, consigned by Messrs. Wads- 
worth of Missouri. At South Omaha, Neb., on April 
8 at a combination sale 63 head averaged $200. The 
best price paid was $550 by J. W. VanNatta for the 
yearling bull Donald Fairfax. 

The final chapter in the history of the old Brook- 
mont herd was written at Odebolt, la., April 16-17, 
when A. E. Cook dispersed all that remained of this 
noted herd. The 188 head brought an average of 
$184, the 24 bulls averaging $287. The cattle were 
sold in their every-day working condition right from 
the fields, no attempt having been made at special 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 949 

fitting for this event. Mucli interest was shown in 
the disposition of the three stock bulls Generous, 
Dale Fairfax and Howard Fairfax. Nearly one- 
half of the cattle offered were the progeny of Gen- 
erous, and although nine years old he was contended 
for by several discriminating buyers who appreciated 
the character of his get. He finally fell to the bid- 
ding of Cyrus A. Tow at $925. Dale Fairfax, by 
Perfection Fairfax, went to A. B. Tyler of Draper, 
S. D., at $1,110. The top price of the sale, $1,210, 
was paid by the Messrs. Hancock of Manilla, la., for 
Howard Fairfax. 

Reporting from the W. H. Curtice herd at Emi- 
nence, Ky,, early in May Manager Fraser stated that 
among their recent sales was that of Beau Perfec- 
tion 23d to A. B. Cook of Montana for $3,000, to- 
gether with 10 heifers for $2,500. Twenty bull calves 
were sold to Thomas Mortimer for $4,500. Beau 
Perfection 22d, a two-year-old son of old Perfection, 
and 5 yearling heifers were bought by Col. W. H. 
Eoe of Shelbyville, Ky., for $1,750.* Mr. Fraser re- 
ported in all the sale of 56 head of cattle at an aver- 
age of $306, adding that $5,000 had been refused for 



*William Fraser, the present managrer of the W. H. Curtice 
herd, was born in Aberdeensiiire in 1SS6, and had his early train- 
ing with cattle among the "doddies" of his native land. He was 
also employed at one time in connection with the management 
iof a herd of blacks in Staffordshire, England. He next had to 
'do with the handling of the Shorthorns of Sir R. P. Cooper of 
tehenstone Court, Staffordshire. While employed in these ca- 
pacities he assisted in the fitting and exhibition of bullocks that 
were prize-winners at Birmingham and Smithfleld. 

Coming to America he was first engaged with the Carpenter 
& Ross herd. By this time Mr. Fraser had earned for himself 
a high place in the regard of those who appreciate good work 
in the training of cattle for exhibition, and he was chosen by 
Mr. Curtice to follow James Hendry in the handling of the 
famous Beau Donald Herefords. 




Photo by Hildebrand 

CHAMPION IIEIFKR SCOTTISH LASSIE 305352, BRED BY DR. JAMES E. 

LOGAN, AND BULL CORRECTOR FAIRFAX 332C53, BRED BY 

W. T. McCRAY. 




riioto by HildtUrand 

PERFECTION LASS 342053, GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE AT THE 1913 
INTERNATIONAL. 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 951 

the show bill] Bean Perfection 24th, and an offer of 
$1,000 declined for his yearling sister. A little later 
a sensational deal with Col. Taylor was reported. 

At their public sale on Oct. 20, 1914, Harris & 
Sons realized an average of approximately $496 on 
55 head. The 29 females disposed of on that occasion 
averaged $493, and the 26 bulls averaged $498. The 
highest price was $1,800, paid for the bull calf Re- 
peater 38th, Fred Fleming, Stamford, Tex., being 
the purchaser. At $1,525 E. H. Taylor, Jr., Frank- 
fort, Ky., secured the six-year-old cow Harris' Prin- 
cess 81st by Beau Donald 5th. Gay Lad 25th, a 
yearling bull, made $1,500, William Henn, Denver, 
Colo., being the buyer. Eepeater 19th, two years old, 
and Disturber's Lassie 5th, three years old, each sold 
for $1,250, the former going to S. B. Burnett, Fort 
Worth, Tex., and the latter to E. H. Taylor, Jr. Mr. 
Taylor also bought the seven-year-old cow Adeline 
by Prime Lad at $1,050, and the four-year-old cow 
Disturber's Lassie 4th at $1,000. Sixteen of the 55 
head sold for $500 or more each.* 



♦Disturber was bought by Mr. Letham when a calf, and he 
won his way through the senior bull ring at Chicago at a we'ght 
of 1,245 pounds a few days before he was thirteen months old. 
As a yearling he was used heavily and showed in only half-fitted 
condition, winning third money. As a two-year-old his get were 
showing so well that again he was not fitted specially, retaining 
third place at Chicago. Both of these years he was the property 
of Mr. Brock. It was when Disturber was two years old that 
Letham showed him with his first calf. This was Distributor, the 
sire of Repeater, which defeated the St. Louis World's Fair cham- 
pion Mapleton and the eastern champion Perfection Fairfax. 
Then came Distinction, o'wn brother to Distributor. Disturber's 
heifers found favor perhaps more generally than his bulls during 
the first five years of his life, but after that there was probably 
about an even division of sentiment as to their relative excel- 
lence. During the year 1910 his get won more blue ribbons than 
any bull of any breed in the Chicago show, and that too on an 
exhibit of but thirteen head from the Brock herd. 

When George P. Henry sold out his herd he had Kansas Lad 
Jr., Prime Lad and Disturber. The latter Letham took with him 



952 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Beau Perfection 24th Brings $12,000.— In the 

month of May, 1914, Mr. AV. H. Curtice sokl 20 head 
at private treaty to Col. E. H. Taylor, Frankfort, 
Ky., at the round price of $20,000. The deal in- 
cluded the sensational two-year-old bull Beau Per- 
fection 24th, at $12,000, the highest figure as yet 
reached for a Hereford on either side of the Atlantic. 
The 19 females were taken at $400 per head. In 
the course of a letter announcing this remarkable 
transaction Mr. Curtice says: "This sale makes a 
total of 79 head of cattle disposed of since the 
Kansas City Show last year for a total of $41,135 
cash without discount, freights or any extra sale 
expense whatsoever." Commenting further Mr. 
Curtice says: "I do not want the impression to go 
out that I am oitt of the Hereford breeding business 
as I still have 100 head of cattle, and expect to 

to Missouri when he went to IVrr. "Brock. Speaking of the record 
made by the get of this bull, Mr. Letham says: 

"He was the most consistent sire I ever handled. His get 
were not all show cattle, but everyone was a Disturber — perfectly 
marked, with good rich mossy coats and thick-fleshed always. In 
May, 1911, we sold Mr. Tow the entire Lake Geneva herd, includ- 
ing Disturber, Distributor and Standard. The old bull was then 
in his tenth yeai', but even so he carried more top meat than 
most show bulls and I still valued him at $.3,500, a price which I 
had refused for him when he was three years old, at which time 
I had dared to ask $5,000. He made his best success on Kansas 
Lad .Jr. and Prime Lad cows, of which we had only six. Without 
boasting, I believe that the young Disturber herd which Mr. Tow 
is showing this fall, thus far undefeated, and containing among 
the last of the old bull's get the junior champion bull Disturber 
Jr. and Disturber Lassie 12th, the junior champion female, and 
three others that are very uniform, is in my opinion the best I 
have ever seen. This I mean as an absolutely cold-blooded 
verdict. Disturber -was grandsire to all the liepeaters as well as 
to Point Comfort 14th, the phenomenal Davis bull, Letham Fair- 
fax in Mr. McCray's herd, and a lot of others on the road. 

"Certainly the old bull's get are making much Hereford his- 
tory, and I hope the old fellow is knee-deep in bluegrass and 
clover, if there are green pastures on the other shore, after 
twelve years of the best we could give him here. As a two-year- 
old at Chicago he weighed in at 2,140 pounds, and for seven 
straight years in breeding shape he stood between 2,250 and 2,300 
pounds on grass alone." 




U^ c/. I^avis 



Cot. E.H. Tax/for c/r 



954 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

breed Herefords as long as I live, both in Kentucky 
and in Alberta, Canada." 

Lord Wilton was knocked down at the Stockton- 
bury sale for 3,800 guineas, or $19,000, but Mr. 
Vaughan, who was supposed to be bidding for 
America, failed to make good his offer and at a sub- 
sequent sale the famous bull went for $5,000. It 
should be stated, however, that Sir James Rankin's 
bid of 3,700 guineas at Stocktonbury was bona fide, 
although unfortunately, as it turned out, it was not 
accepted by the auctioneer. 

The Show Herds of 1914. — The show season of 
1914 opened impressively at the Forest City Fair, 
Cleveland, 0., the last of August. The Kentucky 
herds were in prime form, and the old-time cam- 
paigners — Giltner Bros., W. H. Curtice and Luce & 
Moxley — were here joined by E. H. Taylor, Jr., who 
won grand championship on the $12,000 bull Beau 
Perfection 24th. From Indiana came the admirable 
herd of J. H. & J. W. VanNatta, and these fitted 
herds sounded a significant prophecy of the bril- 
liancy of the fall campaign. The winners were 
almost without exception of the blood which has 
hitherto produced the prize-winners in these herds. 
Ohio and New York divided the Luce & Moxley and 
the Taylor herds the ensuing week, the Curtice con- 
tingent journeying intact to New York State Fair. 
Returning from the east the herd of Luce & Moxley 
encountered only local opposition at the Michigan 
State Fair while the cattle of Messrs Giltner, Tay- 
lor and VanNatta joined issue at the Indiana State 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 955 

Fair with the herd of W. T. McCray, which had 
opened its campaign at Iowa. The Kentucky 
breeders concentrated their divided forces at their 
home fair at Louisville, and had the aid of the Mc- 
Cray cattle in presenting anew the merits of the 
breed in the Blue Grass State. 

Meanwhile other spectacular exhibitions of the 
breed had been claiming public attention in the cen- 
tral west. Iowa summoned to its state fair no less 
than 15 herds of "white faces", from Iowa, Missouri, 
Indiana, Wisconsin and far-south Mississippi. Con- 
spicuous on the prizelist were the cattle from the 
herds of 0. Harris & Sons, W. T. McCray, Cyrus A. 
Tow, J, M. Curtice and W. J. Davis of Mississippi. 
It was clearly one of the bravest shows of the breed, 
emphasized by its setting at a fair where the 
Hereford has more than once overshadowed the 
other breeds in the uniformity of its excellence. 
Here again the names of the leading winners bring 
to mind bloodlines which have been most potent for 
years in the production of the ribbon-winning cattle 
at the western fairs. After Des Moines exhibits 
usually divide between the Minnesota and the Ne- 
braska state fairs. J. M. Curtice, Cyrus A. Tow and 
A. A. Berry & Son journeyed north to Hamline, 
where they encountered three local herds not well 
equipped to meet such competition. Five herds left 
Des Moines for Lincoln, among them 0. Harns & 
Sons, W. J. Davis & Son, and William Andrews & 
Sons, and met two Nebraska herds and one from 
Kansas. This fair provides grand championship 



956 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

competitions for all beef breeds, and the Harris 
champion Repeater 7th gained this honor for the 
breed.* The Harris heifer Miss Repeater 11th was 
second best female in this competition, while the 
calf herd from Mississippi won second in competi- 
tion for such groups. The participation in the west- 
ern campaign of the Davis cattle from Mississippi 
was among the notable features of the season, not 
only an evidence of the security of the foothold 
which the breed has obtained in the south, but an 
illustration of enterprise rarely equaled in our show- 
yard annals. 

Pushing resolutely the widely-planned campaign, 
the Harris and Curtice herds from Missouri, the 
Berry, Andrews and Tow herds from Iowa and the 
Green herd from Nebraska joined with five South 
Dakota, herds in a sensational exhibit at Huron, the 
capital city. The Davis herd meanwhile had moved 
its colors to Topeka, along with the cattle of Bielil 
& Sidwell of Missouri and Thompson Bros, and 0. E. 
Green of Nebraska, thus affording full classes at 
the Kansas fair. The exhibit carried to the western 
fairs brimmed with white-faced ripeness and quality. 

*The Messrs. Harris are certainly doing their full share 
towards sustaining the cause of the Hereford in the United 
States at the present time. No other evidence is required to 
demonstrate the great enterprise they are displaying, and the 
liberal expenditure they are making in connection with the 
up-keep of their establishment, than the fact that there is at 
the present writing in service upon their Alodel Farms Repeater 
289,598 (an admirable photograph of which appears elsewhere 
in this volume), Gav I.ad 6th, old Beau Donald 5th. Prince Per- 
fection and Flepeater 7th. Beau Donald 5th is still in service 
in his sixteenth year, and has sired cattle that have been sold 
bv the Messrs. Harris for more than $100,000. 

In this connection it should be inentioned that the color- 
plate engraving seen upon the front cover of this volume has 
been prepared from a recerrt photograph showing Repeater 7th 
and Miss Repeater 11th as they appeared on the show circuit 
of 1914. 



PROSPERITY REGAINED 957 

The herd of W. T. McCray coming- up from 
Louisville, Ky., met the VanNatta cattle from its 
home state at Springfield, with J. E. Thompson, an 
Illinois breeder, supplying a few winners. Of all 
the state fairs this season the breed was least numer- 
ously represented at Illinois. On the succeeding 
week the Harris cattle from South Dakota, the Mc- 
Cray cattle from Indiana and the Curtice cattle from 
Missouri met at the Missouri State Fair, while the 
young cattle from the Kansas herd of R. H. Hazlett 
were winning most of tlie prizes at the Oklahoma 
State Fair in competition with the entries of Klaus 
Bros., from the same state, and several local ex- 
hibitors.* 

*Mr. Hazlett has not been in the llmelig-ht as much as some 
of his contemporaries, but he has been honored with the presi- 
dency of the Hereford association, is one of the active managers 
of the Kansas City Royal Sho\v, and is g^enerally recognized as 
one of the ablest men now identified with the development of 
Hereford interests in the middle west. A statement, therefore, 
covering- some' of his personal experiences will undoubtedly be of 
much interest, and at our request he has prepared the following, 
which we have pleasure in inserting at this point: 

"Really, my experience as a breeder has been so generally 
uneventful that I hardly know how to give you any very good 
idea of what I have done. I have never attempted much in the 
way of showing cattle. I first knew about Herefords when T. L. 
Miller and others of the early Hereford breeders were striving to 
obtain recognition by the management of the Illinois State Fair, 
Springfield, 111., being my home at that time. My interest at that 
time, however, went no farther than just to feel that those men 
were hardly securing fair treatment and to be pleased when they 
obtained some recognition through the demonstrations at the fat 
stock show. In 188.5 I moved away from Illinois to EI Dorado, 
Kans., and had little experience and knew little of what was going 
on in connection with fairs for some years. 

"I bought my first Herefords, an entire small herd, near this 
citv in 1898. This herd had been kept on the farm where they 
were when I bought them for a good many years and I had fre- 
quently visited the place and admired the cattle. There were six- 
teen in the little herd when I bought it — two young bulls some 
eight to nine months old, and fourteen females, less than half of 
them being of breeding age, the others being yearlings and com- 
ing yearlings. Wild Beau, a full brother to Wild Tom, that first 
made Sunny Slope famous as a Hereford breeding establishment, 
was the sire of the young animals in this little herd. Wild Beau 
was by Beau Real and he by Anxiety 4th. One of these young 
bulls I kept and used in my herd for several years to some ex- 
tent, on all the older cows except his dam. As I did not want to 
breed half sisters to this bull I secured a bull with a large per- 



958 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

This bare summary of the battlelines of the 1914 
show herds would be incomplete without the state- 
ment that from coast to coast and far into the south 
the banner of the breed was proudly carried. The 
Vermont and Virginia fairs staged exhibits that 
occasioned favorable comment and at some of the 
southern shows, notably at the Tri-State Fair at 
Memphis, the breed was surprisingly prominent. 

centage of Anxiety 4th blood. The dam of this young bull, which 
had been named by the man from whom I bought him Major 
Beau Real, was by Stonemason by Beau Real, so that the first 
calf I used was a line-bred Anxiety 4th bull. This second bull 
was Bernadotte 2d, and he proved to be quite a good sire. I used 
these two bulls for several years, in the meantime having bought 
now and again a few females without much thought as to their 
breeding. 

"Up to this time what I had done was without any real rea- 
son. It just happened that I had Anxiety 4th lines, as I really 
kne^w nothing of the science of breeding or for that matter of 
tlie prominent families among Herefords. Having daughters of 
these two bulls in my herd by this time and having the idea that 
is very prevalent — whether correct or not — that I ought to go 
outside for some fresh blood or a different line of breeding, I 
bought a Columbus bull, Dale Duplicate 2d. He was, I think, a 
little more than a half-brother to the champion show bull 
Dale, with whose history you are entirely familiar. I disposed of 
both the old bulls. J also bought another from a popular family 
at that time, by Improver out of a Corrector dam. Another one 
I tried was as close to The Grove 3d as I could i.nd, having learned 
that The Grove 3d was considered by many a great sire. I used 
these bulls until their get were in the neighborhood of two years 
old and decided that I did not like the results I was getting. 
Whether this was the fault of the out-crossing or simply that it 
was not the proper nick with my cows, I am not prepared to say. 
I only cite the fact here that I did not get the results I hoped for 
and soon disposed of all three of these animals. 

"In the meantime I had been trying to inform myself to as 
great an extent as possible in regard to the Herefords that seemed 
to give tlie best results from a breeder's point of view. This, to- 
gether with the experience I had had, led me to return to the 
Anxiety 4th line of breeding through Beau Brummel bulls and 
cows. The next bull which I used was Beau Beauty, sired by 
Beau Brummel out of an Anxiety 4th-North Pole dam. I bought 
an entire herd of between fifty and sixty head in order to secure 
another son of Beau Brummel — Beau Brummel 10th, whose dam 
was much stronger in the blood of Anxiety 4th than the dam of 
Beau Beauty. Up to this time those two have been my chief 
stock bulls. Beau Brummel 10th is dead and I am using one of 
his sons, Beau Sturgis 2d, with good results. While Beau Beauty 
is living. I am using one of his sons also, Zelpho, on the daugh- 
ters of Beau Brummel 10th, with very satisfactory results so far. 

"I omitted one fact in connection with my herd bulls and that 
is this: I used a son of Bernadotte 2d of my own breeding for 
several vears and still have a number of his daughters in my 
herd. This bull was Protocol 2d. He was a very large and very 
smooth bull, weighing at twenty-four months of age 2,000 pounds, 
and as a three-year-old 2,600 pounds. Protocol 2d is the only one 




nOBT. n. HAZLETT. 



960 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

In summary the Hereford show herds of 1914 
have acquitted themselves brilliantly. More convin- 
cing testimony to the successful attainment of ' ' white 
face" ideals in America's eminent nurseries of this 
breed could not be required. A season's exhibit 

of these bulls that was ever shown at anything- except a county 
fair and he but once at the American lioyal, and as neither my- 
self nor my herdsman had any sort of notion of fitting cattle for 
the showring- our success was limited to getting inside the money. 

"For the first few years after I began with the Herefords I did 
not cull my females at all, but kept them all for use in the herd, 
and I kept all the males intact to be sold as bulls. Of course, at 
this time I sold only to farmers and breeders of grade cattle and 
the importance of selection had not occurred to me so much up 
to this time. It was not many years, however, until I became 
very much interested in the matter of breeding and determined 
to give it as much thought and attention as was in my power. 
I decided to eliminate from my herd, through the stockyards, the 
unworthy males as steers, and the sub-standard females. I have 
never made much effort to sell females, as I have felt that in 
order to have a good herd I must keep the best for breeding 
purposes. 

"I have made comparatively little reputation through the 
showring, though I have shown with credit the last two or three 
years at our principal state fairs in the west and at the Ameri- 
can Royal. I bred and showed the heifer Banza, sired by Beau 
Beauty. She was the on'v one that ever beat the renowned Scot- 
tish Lassie until the present year. Banza, with her second calf 
at foot, was shown at the American Royal this year, winning first 
place in the new classification — "cows in milk or with calf at 
foot."' I have shown quite a number of the get of Beau Beauty 
and Beau Brummel 10th at the western state fairs and have a 
good many firsts and championships to my credit in those shows. 

"Speaking- of this reminds me that I have omitted to mention 
another son' of the old Beau Brummel which I bought about the 
time I was getting rid of those three above mentioned. This was 
Printer, of about the same breeding as Beau Beauty, largely 
Anxiety 4th and North Pole. I also have one of his sons in my 
herd and from his use have had more successful show cattle than 
from other bulls on the farm. His name is Caldo 2d. His dam 
was by Lucifer, a Beau Brummel-Anxiety 4th bull, bred by Stew- 
ard & Hutcheon." 

The Hazlett herd is in charge of William Condell, whose por- 
trait appears elsewhere in connection with those of other promi- 
nent herd managers. Mr. Condell was born in 1S82 at Lake Bluff. 
111., of Irish and Scotch descent. He was raised at Chicago Heights, 
111., both places being near the city of Chicago. When he was 
ten years of age his father bought a herd of Herefords, and since 
that time William has always been happiest when busy wtih the 
"white faces." On reaching his majority he determined to iden- 
tify himself with some good herd and endeavor to render efficient 
service. On removing to Kansas in 1901 a connection -with Mr. 
Hazlett was formed which has continued to the present time. All 
who are familiar with the management of the herd, with such 
cattle as have been exhibited from it, and all who have an ac- 
quaintance with IMr. Condell will find in the following sentence 
just about what they would expect from him, in answer to a 
query as to his methods: "Whatever success I have attained has 
been through trying to please my employer, and putting self into 
the work." 




Photo by Hlldebrand 
„«,„.„ 4=0=70. .MPOHTEP. ».= BV_^ -0; T-CH -B OWN.D BV 



r 




„„. .n,T,S„™^»«, -„.J.- -^^THUOOP-mPOB^D B. OKO. 



962 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

wliicli sustains triumphantly the glorious traditions 
of the breed in its presentation of thickly-fleshed and 
perfectly fitted show rin^ cattle has again been 
placed to the credit of the master-builders of the 
breed in America. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
IN FOREIGN FIELDS. 

The question of tlie future meat supply of the 
world is one that is now receiving serious consider- 
ation. Whereas the United States but recently ex- 
ported large numbers of live bullocks for slaughter 
at British ports, as well as great quantities of 
dressed beef, the passing of the open range in west- 
ern America and the curtailment of beef cattle pro- 
duction and feeding by cornbelt farmers, due to the 
steadily advancing price of lards and grain, has with- 
in a remarkably short space of time converted us 
from an exporting to an importing nation. Beef and 
cattle shipments oversea are, for the present at 
least, at an end.* Our own ports have been 
opened to the free introduction of meats from other 
countries, and the first year's operation under this 
new dispensation has seen liberal shipments of 
frozen meats from Argentina to our Atlantic sea- 
board markets and the arrival of numerous cargoes 
from Australasia on our western coast. 

Leading American packers are now operating their 



♦Owing to the abnormal situation developed by the great 
European war, in progress as this volume is written, our packers 
are selling big lots of canned, corned and pickled meats to the 
French and British governments for the maintenance of their 
embattled forces. But with the return of peace and the resump- 
tion of normal commercial relations this buying, on an extensive 
scale, will probably not continue. 

963 



964 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

own plants at Buenos Aires, and are also entering 
the Australasian field. They have been forced to do 
this or lose their Smithfield and other foreign busi- 
ness, built up in the past from American supplies. 
Not only have the packers entered these sub-equa- 
torial markets, but large companies have been 
formed in recent years to engage heavily in cattle 
ranching in regions heretofore not stocked. Notable 
cases in point are the Brazilian Land, Cattle & 
Packing Co., of which Mr. Murdo Mackenzie, former 
manager of the Matador business, is the present 
executive head, and the British South African Char- 
tered Co., which has engaged as manager Mr. 
Richard Walsh, long with the Adair ranch at Palo- 
duro, Texas. 

Exports to South America. — It was in January, 
1911, that Mr. Mackenzie left the service of the 
Matador company and went to take charge of this 
great new venture in South America. Prior to his 
engagement the board of directors had purchased 
about 920 head of Herefords and 20 Shorthorns in 
the United States. All of these cattle except those 
coming from above the quarantine line were pur- 
chased from an infected district and were immune, 
and the cattle purchased from above the quarantine 
line were sent to the Texas Experiment Station, 
where they were held for six months and immunized. 
The cattle arrived in Brazil about the end of July 
and were placed in pastures in Parana. They stood 
the trip very well, only five head dying between 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 965 

Galveston and the Brazilian ranch. On account of 
their being immune before shipment it was expected 
that little trouble would be experienced from tick 
fever, but in this the buyers were disappointed. So 
far as could be observed there was no difference be- 
tween the cattle from above or below the quaran- 
tine line in the matter of susceptibility to the kind 
of tick fever prevalent in that country. It w^as 
found, however, that the Hereford cattle withstood 
the difficulties encountered and adapted themselves 
to all the conditions of that country much better 
than the Shorthorns. Such is Manager Mackenzie's 
testimony, and he adds: 

"I consider that there is a great future for the 
cattle business in Brazil; all it requires is persever- 
ance and push and the importation of the best breeds 
of cattle to make this country second to none in the 
cattle business. The climate is all that could be 
desired. Water is plentiful and well distributed 
over the range country, the annual rainfall being 
about 42 inches. There is practically no cold weather 
and grass will grow almost the year round. There 
is a great abundance of grass, but it is not so nutri- 
tious in some parts as it is in others, and in some 
parts not so nutritious as the grass you find in the 
range country of the United States." 

Five Hundred Herefords to Brazil. — Through its 
representative, Alex. Mackenzie, son of Murdo 
Mackenzie, the Brazilian company purchased in 
Texas during the summer of 1914 500 head of Here- 
fords, which were shipped for breeding purposes to 
the company 's extensive ranches. This was a record 
shipment of American pedigree Herefords to a for- 



966 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

eign country. It consisted chiefly of bulls about 
eighteen months old. It is understood that the total 
price paid was $65,000, or about $125 per head. The 
cattle were selected from herds below the quaran- 
tine line owned by J. W. & D. L. Knox of Jacksboro, 
R. H. McXatt of Fort Worth, M. W. Hovenkamp of 
Keller, W. N. Burns of Blanket, F. C. Vaden of 
Sherman, J. H. McCaskey of Decatur, J. P. Morris 
of Coleman, C. Sloan of Fort Worth, F. L. Smith 
of Graford, R. J. Johnson of Newcastle, J. T. Day 
of Rhome, J. 0. Rhome of Kopperl, Ed Hayden of 
Moran and S. D. Penny of Watauga. 

Although every animal was immune to Texas fever 
they were subsequently required to undergo immuni- 
zation against another species of tick fever in Brazil, 
with the prospect of a considerable mortality. 

The property of this company, consisting of some 
10,000,000 acres of land, lies in the southern part of 
Brazil, the head offices being at Sao Paulo, which 
lies at an altitude of some 2,500 feet above sea level 
and is 60 miles inland. At last accounts it was esti- 
mated that the syndicate had acquired over 200,000 
head of cattle, which number was likely to be in- 
creased to half a million. The entire country, how- 
ever, is infested with ticks, and this complicates 
somewhat the problem of improving the native cattle 
Avith imported bulls. The Brazilian cow is a good- 
sized animal, much larger than the old-time Texan, 
and tlie entire country is covered with a wonderful 
growth of grass which is kept down by burning, the 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 967 

cattle following the prairie fires wherever they 
occur. When a strip of country is burned off the 
animals, attracted by tli,e smoke, set out for it, and a 
few days after the fire has passed the entire country 
is green. 

The fact that the Hereford has been chosen as the 
most likely type to successfully cope with the condi- 
tions there prevailing, is simply another tribute to 
its capacity to endure the hardship to which range 
cattle are usually subjected in all countries. 

It may seem somewhat fanciful to speak of men- 
tality as being a determining factor in the adapta- 
bility of a breed of cattle. However, there is no doubt 
that the peculiar mental qualities of the Herefords 
have contributed markedly to their success upon 
open ranges in general. In the mountainous regions 
of the western United States where mixed herds of 
other breeds were already in possession, when Here- 
fords were introduced they very soon made them- 
selves known by climbing to the highest slopes that 
carry grass. Ever afterwards, as long as the mixed 
herds persist, it may usually be noted that the cattle 
highest up on the grass-covered mountain-sides have 
white faces. 

There is a sort of courage and resolution about the 
Hereford that makes him combat stormy weather 
away from, the shelter of bank or tree or cliff and 
hunt for grass when cattle of more tender nature, 
developed under man's continuous and solicitous 
care, even though they may never have been fed, will 
be found waiting in the bottom of the canyon or in 



968 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the shelter of a tree hoping that someone will come 
along that way. This fact as much as anything else 
has served to earn for the Herefords the admiration, 
and even affection, of their cow-boy caretakers. 

Uruguay. — Here is another place where Here- 
fords find high appreciation. Uruguay is a tine little 
country, in marked contrast to the flat and feature- 
less Argentine plains being made up largely of roll- 
ing lands, in some parts almost hilly, though nowhere 
rising into real mountains. Rocks are often seen 
cropping out of the pastures or rising in good-sized 
cliff-like walls along the crests of the hills. Uru- 
guay is a land of springs and many fine small 
streams, with also a few sizable rivers. We have 
nothing just like it in North America, although the 
high country in Texas somewhat resembles it. How- 
ever Uruguay has a milder climate than Texas, with 
cooler summers and warmer winters. Uruguayan 
soils are good, but not so fat as those of the great 
plains of Buenos Aires. They support perennial 
grasses with fewer bur clovers and other legumes 
than are seen in Argentina. Alfalfa pastures are as 
yet infrequently seen in Uruguay. 

Perhaps because of the more or less hilly nature 
of the country, perhaps because the pastures are less 
productive than those of Argentina, the Herefords 
are the most popular cattle of all breeds tried in 
Uruguay and are most frequently seen. They appar- 
ently make more fat on Uruguayan grasses than do 
the Shorthorns, the nearly universal cattle of Argen- 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 969 

tina. Uruguay lias a fever line in the north, and 
above the line there are yet vast numbers of native 
Spanish cattle, greatly in need of improvement. 
Hereford blood is the kind most sought to effect this 
improvement. There is experienced the same diffi- 
culty that our own breeders have met in attempting 
to put northern cattle into southern pastures. The 
non-immune cattle quite often die when exposed to 
fever ticks. Wilson Bros., of Montevideo, who are 
large importers of cattle for breeding purposes, 
have expressed their opinion that northern Uruguay 
and Brazil could use many thousands of United 
States-bred Hereford bulls if they could be bought 
with any assurance of immunity from fever. 

The truth is that our American breeders of both 
Herefords and Shorthorns have no adequate concep- 
tion of the enterprise that has already been dis- 
played by South American cattle-growers in the 
matter of elevating the standard of their cattle 
stocks, probably because nearly all of their buying 
has been done in Britain. Writing under date of 
Aug. 15, 1913, Mr. William Tudge stated that ''Col. 
F. Braga, the leading Uruguyan breeder, has at the 
present time 800 head of pedigree Hereford cows 
and has just imported (on June 21) the most valu- 
able lot of Hereford bulls,. 27 in number, that ever 
left England at one time." 

Argentina. — The chief cattle-rearing states of 
Argentina are Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Pampa Cen- 
tral, Santa Fe, Entre Rios and Corrientes. South 



970 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

of tlie Rio Negro few cattle are seen because of the 
aridity of the soil and the poverty of the grasses. 
Along the Andes, however, are fine rich pastures as 
far south as Santa Cruz. On these pastures are seen 
chiefly the native Spanish cattle, some of them of 
magnificent type being used largely for transport 
purposes, as it is a great sheep-growing country 
and the wool must be hauled a long way to market. 

The province of Buenos Aires is chiefly low, black, 
fat land, and is devoted mainly to Shorthorn cattle, 
the few herds of Angus, Herefords or other breeds 
being quite inconspicuous amid such immense num- 
bers of Shorthorns. In Cordoba more Herefords are 
seen, but even there Shorthorns largely preponder- 
ate. In Entre Eios the improved herds are chiefly 
Shorthorns, although along the northern edge will 
be found more of the Herefords and also many of 
the native Spanish long-horned cattle. Corrientes 
has a few estancias given over to cattle of good 
blood. Among these will be seen Angus, Herefords 
and Shorthorns, but in the main Corrientes is given 
over to the wild, unimproved Spanish native, living 
to be six years old before going to the salederos or 
salting works. These native cattle never reach the 
frigorificos because of their lack of quality. In 
northern Corrientes some cattle of Zebu or East 
Indian blood have come and are welcomed because 
of their tick-immunity. 

Argentina is the only country beyond the seas that 
produces Indian corn in a large commercial way. 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 971 

For many years past the proprietors of the great 
estancias have been buying Shorthorns in Great 
Britain, not only with great freedom but with a de- 
gree of enterprise unparalleled in the history of the 
British export business. The policy seems to have 
been to procure the best absolutely regardless of 
cost.' For a long series of years buyers for the Ar- 
gentine have been taking out the verj'- tops of British 
herds. 

It seems probable that the main reason why the 
Hereford has not as yet acquired such a dominating 
influence in Argentine cattle-ranching as in the 
United States is due to the fact that conditions 
throughout much of the interior of Argentine are not 
as forbidding as in the case of our own Rocky 
Mountain regions. This is simply another way of 
saying that the necessity for resorting to the pe- 
culiar qualities for which the Hereford is specially 
noted do not exist in Argentina to the same extent 
as with us. Where climatic conditions are favorable, 
and where food is abundant, it is not commonly 
claimed that the Hereford has any outstanding ad- 
vantage over the Shorthorns. It is where the facing 
of grief has to be met that the Hereford practically 
gets away from all competition. 

Foundations of Argentine Improvement. — In Vol- 
ume 35 of the " Anales de la Sociedad Argentina" it 
is stated on the authority of Dr. Zeballos, a former 
Minister of Argentina to the United States w^hose 
acquaintance the author of this volume had the 



972 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

pleasure of forming many years ago, that the cattle 
trade of the Kiver Plate had its remote foundation 
in the introduction in 1553 by the brothers Goes 
(Portuguese) of seven cows and a bull into Para- 
guay. The cattle were from Santa Catalina, Brazil. 
Space will not admit of our endeavoring to trace 
the gradual growth of the industry during the suc- 
ceeding centuries of Argentine development. The 
point of real interest to us at this time is the fact 
that, so far as published herd book entries show, it 
was not until the year 1862 that the first introduc- 
tion of the pure Hereford blood was recorded. In 
that year Don Leonardo Pereyra imported the bull 
Niagara, and in 1864 brought out the first two cows 
of the Hereford breed. In 1868 Mr. Juan Miller 
brought out the first Shorthorn bull, Tarquino, and 
several cows to his Nueva Caledonia ranch, thus 
founding the primal herd of that breed in Argentina. 
Without undertaking to present the details as to the 
subsequent importations, a general idea of the extent 
to which Herefords were introduced and bred during 
the years following this original importation may 
be gleaned from the statement that there were re- 
corded up to the year 1907 in the first four volumes 
of the herd book established for the registration of 
pedigree Herefords 364 bulls and 649 cows. Promi- 
nent among those engaged in promoting the inter- 
est in the ''white faces" in Argentina was Mr. 
Arthur Yeomans, of La Norumbega, Buenos Aires 
Province. 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 973 

Shorthorn vs. Hereford. — The author put to a well 
informed and entirely disinterested authority in 
Argentina not long ago the query, ''How do you 
account for the fact that the Shorthorn seems to be 
so much more popular in your country than the 
Hereford ! ' ' This is a point of so much interest that 
we can do no better than quote his reply verbatim: 

''This question of yours, though natural and 
easily put, is the most intricate to be answered. It 
has agitated ourselves for more than two decen- 
niums, and on their side hundreds of reasons have 
been adduced, all to no effect. Cool ciphers have 
shown the good qualities of the Hereford and its 
adaptability for an outdoor grazing life, dozens of 
times, and still the Shorthorn bears the palm a long 
way. Hereford enthusiasts have been dying away, 
without seeing their efforts crowned; large parts 
of considerable fortunes have for years been laid 
out with Herefords, at small returns, while the 
luckier rival was booming; and still at the slightest 
touch among the advocates of the Hereford the old 
fire of violently subdued enthusiasm breaks out 
again to the highest glow. As an observer, how- 
ever, I should mention: 

"First: That there is a great majority of Short- 
horn breeders, and the largest extensions of the 
most fertile pasture land are devoted to Shorthorns, 
while the Herefords (owing to their hardiness and 
good feeding qualities under adverse conditions) 
are generally reared on poor pastures, consequently 
competing at disadvantage. 

"Second: That the very pronounced hereditary 
power makes the people compare most commonly 
a first-cross Hereford with a fourth- or fifth-cross 
Shorthorn, to the great detriment of the former. 



974 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

"Third: That a portion of the original native 
cattle, before and during the time of grading, pos- 
sessed white heads (such animals being named 
'pampa' out here), and that these 'pampas' are 
much disliked. And as the Hereford with his strong 
generic prepotence gave white heads even in the 
first cross, these two different classes of white heads 
were mixed up by an ignorant population. ' ' 

Arg-entine Breeders Testify. — The fact that Ar- 
gentina now looms so large in the matter of the 
world's beef supply, has led the author to endeavor 
to assemble the views of leading advocates of the 
Hereford in that country. The courtesy of our 
southern neighbors is proverbial. Some of the 
wealthiest and most deeply-engrossed of those who 
have stood by the Hereford cattle in the Argentine, 
in the face of many discouragements, have done us 
the honor to reply at length and in most interesting 
fashion to our inquiries as to the status of the 
"white faces" in the great South American repub- 
lic. In view of the interest now attaching to the 
evolution of the cattle business in that country we 
feel that no more interesting contribution to con- 
temporary cattle literature can be made than the 
submission herewith of liberal extracts from trans- 
lations of their replies. 

Cabana San Juan. — Reference has already been 
made to Don Leonardo Pereyra as the pioneer im- 
porter. The fact that his holdings of Herefords 
upon various estancias had extended up to 30,000 
head at the time his statement was made lends 
weight to the following language: 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 975 

''You ask me wliat reasons justify in the Argen- 
tine Republic the aj)parent supremacy of the Short- 
horns as a race, the superiority of the Herefords 
being unquestionable as regards strength, hardiness, 
health, resistance and adaptability to all kinds of 
' camps. 

I "I believe it is only a matter of personal prefer- 
ence, I acknowledge that such a motive has no 
' weight as a commercial argument. It must also be 
borne in mind that the generality of our breeders 
have, for some time past, dedicated themselves to 
breeding Shorthorns, as these were more abundant 
j than Herefords. The former spread thus easily over 
the country and today the owners of Shorthorns, 
i although the origin of their cattle in this country 
; may not be a pure one, have continued crossing with 
imported animals or with more or less pure bulls for 
i such a long period that their herds are almost pur 
sang. Such breeders naturally are loath to give up 
the results of many years of assiduous work. 
I *'I think, nay, I can assure, that there are Short- 
' horn breeders who are intimately convinced of the 
' necessity of starting in the direction of a breed 
' which, like the Hereford, offers them more endur- 
I ance, is better adapted to all zones, shows greater 
resistance in times of drouth and during cold 
winters, than are displayed by the Shorthorns. Yet 
■ this conviction is an inward one; it is not openly 
avowed. Things will most likely continue in this 
state until the Hereford breeders, who on their side 
persist in their propaganda, do succeed in establish- 
ing their opinion, as I understand has happened in 
the United States. The Hereford breeders have kept 
np the struggle for a very long time; but they were 
few, compared with the number of their rivals, and 
the upshot so far favors the predominion of the Dur- 
hams. During recent years, however, a reaction has 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 977 

begun, a reaction which is based or caused by the 
evidence gathered in bad times, when cattle are put 
to the proof by protracted drouths, intense cold, 
scarcity of pasture, etc. 

"The San Juan Farm, established forty-five years 
ago, has always kept a valuable stock of pedigree 
sires. The development of both Hereford and Dur- 
ham herds in our estancias has allowed me to com- 
pare the qualities of the two breeds, and I have 
reached the following conclusions: the Hereford 
cattle produce more and keep in better condition 
than the Durhams. I now possess from 25,000 to 
30,000 head of Hereford cattle. The figures in my 
books speak eloquently in their favor, showing they 
give higher profits than an equal number of Dur- 
hams, althougli the latter have always grazed on a 
better camp (Tandil Leofu) wliich is situated in the 
same region, near the Tandil Mountains, where the 
Hereford cattle run (San Simon). I can therefore 
harbor no doubts. Facts have convinced me, and 
they certainly carry out my assertions." 

We have the pleasure of submitting herewith 
several engravings which will demonstrate to the 
American reader that Herefords of the very first 
quality, equal, in fact, to the best of the breed in any 
country, have been utilized by Senor Pereyra in his 
extensive breeding operations. These illustrations 
have been prepared from a beautiful set of photo- 
graphs sent to the author along with the manu- 
script from which the above statement is extracted. 
We have also been furnished with a detailed state- 
ment concerning the leadijig stock bulls used in this 
noted herd, the list including a large number of 
Royal English prize-winners taken to the Argentine 



978 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

at liigli prices. We regret that space will not per- 
mit of our setting forth the bloodlines of these im- 
ported cattle, but it must suffice to say that all of 
the great producing strains of the breed in Here- 
fordshire were represented. 

Las Hormigas. — Senor A. Ayerza, owner of Las 
Hormigas, established in Concliitas in the District 
of Quilmes, Province of Buenos Aires, in the year 
1896, began with four pedigree cows imported from 
England, and with fifteen bred in Argentina, the 
produce of imported English cows. The first bull 
used was Eaton Defender, bred by Sir Joseph 
Pulley, Bart., of Lower Eaton, and was followed by 
the famous Eed Cross, bred by Arkwright of Hamp- 
ton Court and winner of many important prizes at 
English shows. 

The natural increase from births in this estab- 
lishment during a period of eleven years was 425 
head. Comparing the "mestizacion" or effects of 
crossing with both'* Durham "and Hereford bulls, Sr. 
Ayerza, after having practical experience with both 
breeds and having produced as many as 6,000 head 
of grades of both breeds decided to give up using 
"Durhams" and only employ Herefords. Referring 
to this he said: 

''Above all I must tell you that the mestizacion in 
my establishment has been made principally with 
purebred pedigree bulls, but few of a 'mixed breed' 
having been used, but even those had been crossed 
at least four times. As to the cows, although they 
had some Hereford blood (only the color), yet on 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 979 

account of their poor development and form they 
were no better than the ordinary native cattle. With 
these 2,000 head as a base they gave, in the first 
instance, as a result steers which at three and a half 
years old were sold for the freezing establishment 
at the same price as Durham steers of the same age 
and fleshiness, but which had better blood on 
account of their mestizacion. I am certain that this 
result could not have been obtained with purebred 
Durham bulls and cows in the conditions of de- 
velopment and mestizacion to which I have just 
made reference. 

"One point of great importance in the use of 
Hereford cattle is their rapid increase; for, com- 
paring the annual increase of the Hereford cattle 
which I possess now with that of the Durhams 
which I had, I can affirm without fear of mistake 
that said increase is from 18 to 20 per cent more. 
I have also noted that in the case of this breed a 
breeder can with impunity, by means of crossing, 
produce an animal of pure blood without the least 
fear of losing in the smallest degree any of the 
strength and rusticity which belong to the breed, 
and which in my experience with the Durham can- 
not be obtained, because this animal once arrived 
at the grade of pure blood becomes exceedingly 
weak and unable to resist our system of rearing 
cattle in the open air, especially during the win- 
ters of the southern parts of Buenos Aires. If, for 
example, during the last winter I had in my estab- 
lishment the Durham cows which I formerly had, 
I am quite sure that more than three-fourths of 
them would have died (as happened with my 
neighbors) whilst I only lost an insignificant part 
of my Herefords. You may be almost certain that 
a reel native cow served by a pure Hereford bull 
will produce an animal with hair, short legs and 



980 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

somewhat of the roundness of body of the parent 
bull, which characteristics you will not find in the 
case of a Durham. I am fully persuaded that given 
the same conditions as to blood, pasture and care 
of the cows served by purebred bulls of either 
breed, the breeder of Herefords will obtain a larger 
number and a better type of animal in half the 
time. 

"There are many factors to be considered to 
account for the superior popularity of the Durham: 

"First: As there are few breeders of Herefords 
there are consequently few pure bulls to employ in 
the mestizacion, and this fact obliges many breed- 
ers to have their cows served by animals which 
have been only once crossed. These bulls with 
the facility with which they give to their produce 
the hair of the Hereford cause the offspring to have 
the name of Herefords without in reality possessing 
a drop of pure blood. 

"Second: As everybody recognizes the strength 
and rusticity of this breed it becomes a reason why 
the breed is raised in those camps, where on account 
of their bad quality Durhams could not live, and 
therefore the want of grass, a bad climate, and bull 
of very little pure blood are the reasons why the 
produce show a want of development, causing one 
to believe on account of their color that they possess 
a high grade of mestizacion, when in reality they 
possess none. 

"Third: A great deal is also to be attributed to 
the constant adverse efforts of the partisans of the 
Durhams against the Herefords. It is plain that 
the partisans of the Durham, being so numerous and 
powerful, those of the Hereford who are in a great 
minority are not listened to. 

"For my part I can bring forward as a witness 
my commercial books to show that I sell annually 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 981 

to the freezing establishments for exportation to 
London from 10,000 to 13,000 steers, and I have 
never sold Durhams for a higher price, nor of less 
age, nor fatter than Herefords; with this peculiarity, 
that although both be fed on the same land the 
Herefords have fattened sooner, and I have never 
had a single animal of the Hereford breed rejected 
on account of a suspicion of tuberculosis, which 
disease is found largely developed in the Durham 
breed. 

"One of the baseless reasons which the breeders 
of Durhams use in running down Herefords is the 
following which I have pleasure in giving you: 
In our great Palermo shows of 1890, 1895, 1896, 
1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901 and 1902 a grand special 
or champion prize was established to be awarded to 
the best bull for producing the best meat breed. 
During these nine distinct struggles the Durhams 
won five times and the Herefords four. I must tell 
you that in those different competitions the number 
of Durham bulls was four or six times more numer- 
ous than that of the Herefords, so that the triumph 
was greater for the latter. At the present day we 
cannot, unfortunately, compete in the same condi- 
tions, because a champion prize has been established 
for each breed, through the influence of the partisans 
of the Durhams. 

''I have data given me by pedigree stock breed- 
ers of both breeds which says that given an equal 
number of cows and time, the Herefords have pro- 
duced in the proportion of one and a half times more 
than the Durhams." 

It should here be stated that the foregoing testi- 
mony, as well as that which follows it, was pro- 
cured by the author of this volume several years 
ago, when this work was first projected. While 



982 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

general conditions in respect to the relative posi- 
tions of tlie two breeds in Argentina have not ma- 
terially changed since these interesting communica- 
tions were originally written, it is but fair to state 
that several years have elapsed since they were 
placed in the writer's hands. It would appear 
therefore that Hereford breeders in Argentina find 
themselves up against about the same proposition 
that faced the early American breeders and import- 
ers in the United States— the Shorthorn power being 
entrenched at every point, making it an up-hill fight 
for the advocates of the "white faces." 

San Gregorio. — Senor D. A. Villfane, proprietor of 
the San Gregorio estancia, substantiates what has 
already been said by his colleagues. His reply in 
part is as follows: 

"One cause of the unpopularity of the Hereford 
is that he so easily imprints his type on the common 
classes, half-blood crosses are sent to market, and 
his premature product resulting from a hurried re- 
finement served the Durham breeders to emphasize 
.their anti-Hereford propaganda. As the Hereford 
type is easily imprinted, any product with a white 
face and horned was 'Hereford,' but what kind of 
Hereford? Of these I am no advocate, but I am a 
very great lover of the Hereford of quality. 

"Again: In the shows the number of Durham 
animals exceeds the Heref ords, and the public natur- 
ally rushes to wherever their attention is thus forci- 
bly directed. The Durham undoubtedly will have 
its epoch; indeed it is enjoying it at the present 
moment, but then as it is only a fleeting custom (or 
shall I call it fashion!) it shall vanish like all other 




STOCK BULL WONDERFUL, USED BY DON LEONAHDO PERBYRA. 




PRIZR BULL HOLMER 22220, BRED BY PETER COATS AND TAKEN TO 
PRIZE EULL^HUUM^^^^^^^, ^^ ^^^ LEONARDO PERBYRA. 



984. A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

fancies and eventually the Hereford will again be 
in the ascendant. ' ' 

Duggan Bros. — Mr. Edward C. Duggan of this 
firm says: 

"The result of the Hereford crossing is undeni- 
able to all those who have tested it. We have ex- 
cellent herds resulting from crosses made with pure 
Hereford bulls and low-grade Durham cows, and we 
have also obtained in much less time excellent results 
with crossings made with pure Hereford bulls and 
Durham cows of high breeding. It frequently hap- 
pens that many breeders in order to buy the Here- 
ford cows separate from their herds all the inferior 
and useless cows, and placing these with Hereford 
bulls, wonder afterwards why they did not obtain 
a product of the 'cold storage' type and preach 
to the four winds that the crossing is not good. 
These gentlemen do not notice, or do not wish to 
recognize, that these same cows if mated with an 
excellent Durham bull would never give a superior 
product, but they expect the Hereford to do in one 
crossing that which they would not seek from the 
Durham in five. 

"In a country like ours, which possesses every 
variety of climate, soil and pasture imaginable, it is 
a positive fact that in the cattle as well as the sheep 
there exists practically only one breed — in cattle the 
Durham and in sheep the Lincoln. It is somewhat 
difficult to determine to what can be attributed this 
strange anomaly. In the case of the Hereford we 
think it is mainly due to the slight knowledge of the 
breed. As the Hereford bull from the first crossing 
imprints his color on his ofiPspring, it occurs that 
many persons think that every animal with a white 
face is a Hereford, although he has nothing else 
but the aforesaid characteristic. This lack of 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 985 

knowledge in connection with what we liave written 
in the above paragraph about the little certainty 
prevailing among the majority of breeders proves 
that the crossing must be the chief cause of the 
small acceptability of this mixture compared with 
the Durham. We must here draw attention con- 
cerning the fact that all our neighbor live stock 
breeders, as well as ourselves, who have proved both 
species under similar conditions, are all adherents 
of the Hereford. We have herds of pedigree and 
numerous rounds of both crossings Avhicli enable us 
to speak of the matter with some authority. 

"We have ascertained that the Hereford bull 
serves a greater number of cows than the Durham. 
Again, the Hereford cow gives a larger percentage 
of calves, there being comparatively few cases of 
sterile and tuberculosis cattle. Further, that the 
Hereford lives longer than the Durham, is more 
easily fattened and the 'cold storage' pay for good 
Hereford steers is a price equal to that offered for 
good Durhams. The fact of the Hereford being 
easier to fatten is of great importance, because on 
the same pasture you can place one-third more ani- 
mals than 3^ou can of Durhams. Another strong 
feature for the Hereford is that it will fatten on the 
same good pasture even at the time when it is with 
calf, but the Durham, which is thin at this stage, 
will not improve while she is suckling and in the 
majority of cases will not improve without special 
care. Lastly, on pasture land where Durhams die 
the Hereford not only lives but keeps in a fair con- 
dition. As this last statement may seem exagger- 
ated, we will add that on more than one. occasion 
during bad winters we have had Durham and Here- 
ford cattle on the same pasture separated by a 
fence, but we have been compelled to assist the 
Durhams, taking them to other pastures in better 



986 A UISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

condition, while tlie Herefords remained to the end 
of the winter and exhibited a better condition." 

At Esperanza. — Sr. Miguel G. Salas, one of the 
Argentine advocates of the Hereford, imported in 
the year 1882 fifty cows and one bull, and formed 
with these animals his first herd at Esperanza. This 
importation was followed periodically by others, 
which were used for renewing the blood, avoiding 
the necessity for close breeding. Of the bulls pro- 
duced from the stock a number were prepared for 
sale when they were two years old, and the re- 
mainder utilized for improving the stock of "Creole" 
cattle, which he owned on different estates. Of the 
effects observed, it is said: 

"The result of the crossing with the ordinary 
cattle was at first mediocre, but lately has been 
very satisfactory, the steers realizing prices which 
rival with the best obtained from among the Dur- 
hams. Notwithstanding all this, there are some ob- 
jections raised on the part of market buyers for the 
Hereford cattle, and this opposition against such an 
excellent breed is chiefly based on the existence of 
two prominent features pertaining to this class of 
cattle, which have contributed to lessen their popu- 
larity here. 

"First: The amazing facility with which the 
Hereford attains the coloring without more admix- 
ture than that resulting from a half-pure Hereford 
bull with an ordinary cow, which at once produces 
the characteristic color — red with a white face. But 
then an animal with so little strain of noble blood, 
although it has the color of the pure breed, naturally 
cannot have its other distinguishing features; and 
from these circumstances persons not very expert in 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 987 

the knowledge of the breed form wrong conchisions, 
considering the Hereford badly developed and diffi- 
cult to fatten, etc. 

" Second: It is a general opinion that as to rustic- 
ity this breed has no competitors, and in view of 
this fact the breeders allotted the poorest pastur- 
age to the Hereford. In consequence of this the re- 
sult was soon apparent, for the cattle thus treated — 
as was natural to suppose — did not attain to the 
size of their competitors, the Durhams, and from 
this circumstance arose the conclusion of the sup- 
posed inferiority of the Herefords, and this without 
once giving thought that the Durhams would have 
literally perished had they been grazed on similar 
pasture to that of the Hereford cattle. Now it is 
common knowledge that when placed on good 
pasture and being of a good cross the Herefords 
can compete favorably with the Durham or any 
other breed of beef, and if to this fact we add the 
dehorning, the Hereford can be converted into a 
polled steer, as beautiful and docile an animal as 
any Durham. 

''The actual proprietor of Esperanza, Sr, Juan 
Cobo, had at about the same time established his 
Durham Stock Farm with the same number of ani- 
mals, but he remains nowadays with only the Here- 
fords, which he prefers to the Durhams." 

La Estrella. — The author acknowledges with 
thanks the receipt of a long and particularly inter- 
esting statement from Dr. Emilio Frers on the gen- 
eral subject of the status of the Hereford in Argen- 
tina, including an even-tempered and scholarly 
analysis of the relative claims made for the two 
leading breeds in that country. Our only regret 
is that we have not space to publish this in full. 



988 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

To condense it would only be to rob it of its vital 
interest. 

Dr. Frers ' experience began in the year 1882 when 
he took over the La Estrella establishment, at which 
time the cattle stock included a small herd of 50 
or 60 Hereford-crossed Shorthorn cows and some- 
thing over 3,000 head of "Creoles," showing some 
little blood. He decided to begin the work of im- 
provement, and for this purpose selected the Here- 
ford bull. He was fortunate enough to secure as 
his first purebred sire the imported bull Gordon, 
bred by Lewis Lloyd, that carried a double cross 
of Lord Wilton. He was procured through Mr. 
Yeomans, who stated at the time that ''no Here- 
ford bull of better blood had crossed the equator 
up to that date." His descendants at La Estrella 
certainly did high credit to his ancestry. During 
1887 and 1889 several good lots of bulls were 
brought out from England. Since that date none 
but pedigree sires have been used in the herds. At 
the time this communication was written by Dr. 
Frers the herd numbered some 4,700 head of cat- 
tle, of which 119 head had pedigrees. Besides these 
there were between 400 and 500 cows which were 
already highly crossed, and which would be classed 
as of the pure blood. In fact, something over 2,000 
of the cows were more than seven-eighths Here- 
ford blood. Animals from this establishment have 
repeatedly been shown at the Argentine expositions 
with great success. 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 989 

Dr. Frers lias taken special pride in the Here- 
ford steers lie has shown, and these have not only- 
been frequent winners, but have sold at fancy prices. 
Speaking of the value of the Hereford for the meat 
trade, he says: 

"The Hereford steers are rapidly coming into 
favor, notwithstanding the prejudices of many 
breeders and exporters. Until a few years ago the 
average price obtainable for them was considerably 
less than that for the mixed-bred Durham. It was 
said that their net yield was less, but if so the 
reason was obvious. All white-faced animals pro- 
duced by Creole cattle and those of the low^er grades 
in general, were classed as Herefords, even though 
they possessed no other charactertistic than the red 
and white color. Those highly bred in Hereford 
blood were very few in numbers. Indeed the Dur- 
hams, with which they were compared, reached 
vastly superior refinement. It should be borne in 
mind that the proportion of the Hereford to the Dur- 
ham is one to seven throughout the country. At 
the present time good Hereford steers command 
as high prices as any others at the public market, 
as well as for export. At recent cattle shows we 
have been triumphant. I have contributed three- 
quarters and seven-eighths blood Hereford bullocks 
that have secured on many different occasions the 
gold medal as the best lot of steers without dis- 
tinction as to breed, in competition with the best 
Durham steers. 

"In my opinion there appears to be a great future 
for the Hereford breed in this country, although I 
think it will never entirely dislodge the Durham. 
Indeed, I see no reason why it should do so. I 
think the Herefords equal them both as to value 
and economy of production. The Durham is some- 



990 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

what more precocious. A Hereford steer will not 
give at three years the same weight and quantity 
of beef, but at four years this difference disappears. 
The Hereford is, on the other hand, more hardy. 
This is the outcome of a biological law. Precocity 
and rusticity are difficult to reconcile, and it is here 
the Hereford offers some advantages. He resists 
better the causes of general mortality, sickness, cli- 
matic variances, etc., in a higher degree, and this 
is th.e reason why where we have hard grasses, 
where the Durham cannot sustain himself and dies, 
the Hereford lives, sometimes weak perhaps, but 
still he surviyes. He fattens quicker when grazing, 
and preserves his condition better where hardships 
have to be met with, as is common in our country. 
The Durham is without doubt better suited for stall- 
feeding, but the Hereford has the advantage over 
him in grazing." 

Australasia. — Australia and New Zealand cut a 
large figure always in the world's supply of meats, 
more especially in the matter of mutton. In the 
production of Merino and cross-bred wools they hold 
a commanding position, and their exports of frozen 
mutton reach great totals. Cattle-growing is in- 
deed subordinate to flock husbandry, and yet, as 
British colonies with good grazing available, they 
have naturally transplanted from the mother country 
the blood of the Shorthorn and Hereford in quanti- 
ties that have resulted in the establishment and 
maintenance of many first-class herds. The bulls 
have made their impress upon the general cattle 
stocks. While the Shorthorn probably is to be found 
in larger number than the Hereford, the latter has 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 991 

met with special favor, as elsewhere, wherever harsh 
conditions have to be met, so that in those remote 
regions, as in lands lying nearer to our own bound- 
aries, we find the "white face" as an important 
factor in the cattle business. Oiily lack of space 
precludes our going into details in this case as to 
their introduction and dissemination. 

The Cape Colonies. — There are comparatively few 
Herefords in South Africa. A few have been im- 
ported into Cape Colony and Natal from time to 
time from England, but no herds of any size have 
been established. Mr. Walsh took out a small lot 
of Texas-bred "white faces" to Rhodesia in the 
fall of 1913, and expects to make further shipments. 

One of the largest early importations of English 
Herefords into the colonies w^as that of the Trans- 
vaal Government in 1903. Then twenty-seven cows 
and heifers and four bulls, from good Plerefordshire 
strains, were imported. Included amongst these was 
British Gold, by Gold Box (15339), presented to the 
Transvaal Government by the Earl of Coventry. 
This bull proved a useful and impressive sire. After 
this importation a few more cows and heifers were 
taken out for the Government and it was proposed 
to gradually increase the herd, which is located upon 
the Experimental Farm at Potchefstroom. The 
young bulls bred from imported females have been 
sold to farmers throughout the colony, and have 
been much sought after. Mr. Abe Bailey also es- 
tablished a herd in Cape Colony some years 




A CROSS-BRED CALF— HEREFORD BULL ON AFRIKANDER COW. 




A POPULAR CROSS IN CUBA-ZEBU BULL ON A GRADE HEREFORD COW. 



IN FOREIGN FIELDS 993 

ago. These were the first herds of importance in 
South Africa so far as we can learn. 

Speaking of the general cattle-breeding situation 
in these regions, the Director of Agriculture for the 
Transvaal Government, writing to the author of this 
volume several years ago, said: 

''Though a great portion of South Africa is by 
no means a dairying country, and so far very little 
has been done in the way of dairying, even in dis- 
tricts suitable for it, yet for some reason or other 
the first thought of the farmer when purchasing 
cattle is the amount of milk they will yield, the 
second consideration being the suitability of the 
steers for trek purposes. The carcass of the animal, 
the proportion of carcass to live weight, and early- 
maturing qualities have been greatly neglected. As 
a matter of fact, it would be far better economy 
on the part of many farmers if they were to go in 
for beef production pure and simple, and I have 
little doubt that before long they will do so. When 
they arrive at that stage Herefords should prove 
most useful. 

"The native cattle — Afrikanders, as they are 
called — are very poor carcass animals and very 
poor milkers, though the little milk they do give 
is extremely rich. They are hardy and excellent 
for trek purposes. I enclose photographs of a bull 
and three young heifers. 

"The favorite breeds of cattle, other than Afri- 
kanders, in South Africa at present are Frieslands, 
Shorthorns, Devons, both North and South, and 
Ayrshires, but there are few herds of any size and 
merit of any of the breeds, and it would probably 
be hard to find any other part of the world in which 
cattle-breeding is, speaking generally, so backward 
as in South Africa. 



994 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

"Until recently animals were allowed to run semi- 
wild ujjon the veld, and the only regard which the 
farmer had for his stock was that it should in- 
crease as rapidly as possible, and afford the mini- 
mum amount of trouble and expense. 

"In many ways this is a trying country for stock, 
as in the winter, whilst the days are hot, the nights 
are bitterly cold. We are also bothered by many 
parasitic diseases caused by bacteria and protozoa, 
and conveyed by insects. The fact that South Africa 
once carried such an enormous herd of large game 
leads me to believe that when the various diseases 
have been overcome, and more sensible systems of 
management adopted. South Africa will be a good 
cattle country." 

We reproduce herewith the photographs showing 
an Afrikander bull and females, kindly supplied by 
this correspondent, and in addition a plate show- 
ing the result of a cross of a Hereford bull upon 
a native African cow, from which it will be seen 
that the youngster, while nursing, is almost as large 
as his mother. 

Mr, Walsh, who has selected something over 4,000,- 
000 acres of land in Ehodesia for the British South 
Africa Co., believes that cattle-breeding can be suc- 
cessfully conducted in that region. It is not a well- 
w^atered country, that is, in the dry season, which 
is the winter. The summer or wet season is in 
November, December and January, during which 
time the weather is very hot, although not unbear- 
able because the altitude is 1,500 to 5,000 feet above 
sea level. An abundance of water is to be had by 
digging or boring at a shallow depth. At the 




AFRIKANDER COW AM) IIEIFKRS. 




AN AFRIKANDER BULL. 



996 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

present time there are very few cattle in Rhodesia, 
probably not more than 6,000 head in the country, 
attributable to the rinderpest and South Coast fever 
which some years ago decimated the herds of the 
country to the extent of nearly 90 per cent. There 
is some difficulty in introducing better blood into 
Cape Colony on account of strict veterinary regula- 
tions, but it is believed that the next decade will 
nevertheless see a very large increase in cattle pro- 
duction in various parts. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT. 

This volume is designed purely as a record ol' 
accomplishments in the Hereford breeding field, and 
not as a treatise on feeding and general herd man- 
agement. Nevertheless, it is certain to come into 
the hands of beginners, young and old, who may 
appreciate some practical suggestions on the hand- 
ling of the Herefords, made by experienced men. 
A limited number of pages are therefore given here- 
with to a presentation of brief statements specially 
prepared for this purpose. 

Hints from "Tom" Clark. — There is general 
recognition of the far-reaching influence of Thomas 
Clark upon the fortunes of the Hereford in the 
New World. During his long and active association 
with the work of breeding, feeding and showing the 
"white faces," he was ever in the front rank in 
point of actual accomplishments. He is now retired 
so far as enduring the heat and burden of the day 
is concerned, but as steward of the ring at the Chi- 
cago International he annually renews his youth by 
maintaining touch with those who are now bear- 
ing to still higher levels the standard of the breed 
which he did so much to uphold in bygone days. 

997 




Clem Graves 



HampB.WaUs 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 999 

Asked for a word as to the practical management 
of the breeding herd he replies: 

''In regard to my method of handling a breeding 
herd, I shall first of all tell how I would handle the 
breeding bull. He should be kept in good breeding 
condition. I think some breeders keep their breed- 
ing bulls too thin. I believe a bull will sire calves 
with stronger constitutions and better flesh carriers 
if he is maintained in good flesh. In managing my 
breeding bulls I kept them away from the cattle as 
much as possible, giving them good roomy stalls 
with small yards adjoining so they could get all 
the exercise needed to. keep them straight on their 
legs and active. I fed equal parts of ground corn 
and oats with a little bran and oilmeal added, and 
fed three times day about all they would clean up. 
But be sure that they clean it up at all times. Also 
feed good sweet hay; I prefer clover to any other 
kind. 

"I managed my breeding cows as follows: I pre- 
ferred to breed them so that they would have 
calves from Jan. 1 to April 1, except a few that I 
wanted to have calves for show purposes. Those I 
would breed to calve from Sept. 1 to Jan. 1. All 
cows that would not have calves until February and 
up to April I kept alone in a yard with an open 
shed well bedded, so that they could go in and lie 
down comfortably. If kept in that way they are 
more healthy and their calves will be stronger and 
more thrifty. Besides you save labor and feed. I 
believe that the less you move cows around while 
pregnant the better. Two or three weeks before 
they were due to calve I took them up and put them 
in loose boxstalls, and fed them liberally on ground 
corn and oats with a small allowance of oilmeal. 
After calving let the calves run with them for three 



1000 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

or four weeks in the boxstalls so that they can 
suckle whenever they wish. But I would turn the 
cow out in the morning, and put her back in the 
stall at noon and feed her after the calf had nursed. 
Then I would turn her out again until evening, when 
I would put her back in the stall for the night with 
her calf. After the calf is four weeks old separate 
cow and calf, suckling the calf twice a day. Place 
shelled corn and oats in a trough where the calf can 
go and eat at will. You will be surprised how quick 
it will begin to eat. 

"When grass came I turned cows and calves out 
together on pasture and let them run until flies got 
bad, and then took the calves up and fed as before, 
bringing the cows in mornings and evenings and let- 
ting the calves suck. I separated my bulls from 
the heifers, and fed the bulls all they would eat 
of ground corn and oats, equal parts, with a little 
oilmeal. 

"I would not breed heifers until eighteen to 
twenty months old, so as to have them near three 
years old when dropping their first calves. I would 
breed them so as to have their first calves in the 
spring if possible, in order to get them quickly on 
grass, which will make them give more milk for the 
calves." 

John Letham's Experience. — It is now near 

thirty years since the author first formed the ac- 
quaintance of a feeder contending for honors at the 
old Fat Stocks Shows in the Chicago Exposition 
Building on the Lake Front who impressed him as 
a man of exceptional capacity. During all these 
years this acquaintance has been continued, and 
with ever-increasing respect on our part for his 
judgment in all that pertains to sound methods of 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 



1001 



beef cattle management. We refer to John Letham. 
He has had a long and successful experience, and we 
doubt if a better or more practical statement touch- 
ing the right handling of a breeding herd has ever 
been put on paper than that which he has prepared 
at the author 's request, and is submitted herewith : 

''The management of a breeding herd is not a 
very complex problem if you keep close to nature. 




THE WUOUt5 PRINCIPAL. CnvMII- 
SITION If); a— Bred by i.' r 
Weiglicd 1,645 pounds at tux 



: IXTERNATIDNAL EXPO- 
i iiy John Letham — 
jid at 5iic per pound. 



Abundant pasture and pure water easily reached in 
summer, well ventilated barns for the cows and 
young calves and good, dry, well bedded open sheds 
for the yearlings and two-year-olds in winter are all 
that are necessary for success. If these simple re- 
quirements were followed we would hear but little 
about abortion, tuberculosis, scours, foul-feet and 
many of the troubles that plague the caretakers and 



1002 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

dishearten the owners. It is astonishing in going 
over the country how many cattle one finds which 
have insufficient pasture and filtliy water, or only 
water at intervals. And yet they are expected to 
make good returns for their owners. In winter the 
conditions are deplorable even with men who mean 
well. Many of the costly bank barns are hotbeds 
of disease. Ventilation was never once considered by 
the architects and drainage was entirely forgotten, 
even where the cupola is a work of art resembling 
Joseph's coat of many colors. Go into such a barn 
at 5 a. m., where 50 to 100 cattle are housed. The 
hot, moist atmosphere meets you; it is past being 
unsanitary; it is impure, death-dealing to man and 
beast alike. At 8 a. m. these cattle are turned out 
into a yard resembling a hog wallow, there to stand 
in the storm or zero weather till 4 p. m. And breed- 
ers will talk about having bad luck! This is not an 
overdrawn picture. It is only too common and sure- 
ly means the survival of the fittest in the end! 

"When managing a breeding herd the bull is 
half the herd at all times, so we turn to him first. 
A paddock of 2 acres or less with a comfortable 
shed and boxstall in one end makes the ideal quar- 
ters for the herd bull. The shed should have a loft 
above to hold the hay and straw, so as to be handy 
in winter and to keep it cool in summer. Then you 
can have the breeding pit under cover in the shed. 
In many of the states no door is necessary. Let it 
open to the south and the bull will generally use 
good judgment. Should the young bull be lonesome 
turn a cow safe in calf with him for company. In 
this way you will conserve his virility and lengthen 
his life and usefulness. Feed him enough to keep 
him strong and vigorous all the time without load- 
ing him up with a lot of superfluous inside fat or out- 
side tallow. Blood, bone and flesh are what- you 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1003 

want in a herd bull. After getting his growth he 
should never vary 100 pounds summer or winter. 
This letting down and building up procedure is 
always disastrous. So far as my experience goes 
the single service gets as many calves as the double 
or triple service, provided the cows are in proper 
season and healthy. A radical change of pasture 
during a dry spell, ergot on the grass, changing to 
silage, heavy feeding of cottonseed meal, etc., 
have been the causes of charging up many a bull 
with unsatisfactory service. 

"The pregnant cow should always be the herds- 
man's special care. She only drops one a year on 
an average. To save a good calf means to save a 
large part of the herdsman's salary, sometimes a 
year's salary. And right here is where you find the 
greatest difference in herdsmen. Keeping the cows 
bred up and saving the calves, far more than makes 
or loses the salaries of the best men. When the 
matron that is due has been on grass and raised 
naturally little need be done, the calves usually 
coming strong and healthy. The calves dropped on 
the green sod seldom get infected. Of course you 
have always the maggot, the screw worm or coyote 
to remember, depending on your location. The 
commonest evil is too much new milk at birth. Stale 
milk has killed many a calf. Therefore see to it the 
mother is properly stripped once daily even at 
pasture, and more especially should there be a re- 
tention of the placenta. It is astonishing how little 
the calves need to live on during the first week and 
how much damage can be done by too much, espe- 
cially if the milk is stale or the mother at all 
feverish. In winter the calf cot is all-important. It 
should be cleaned and aired out every day and a 
little slacked lime sprinkled. It is always worth 
what it cost in the field. Do not wait till your 



1004 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

calves get the scours, coughing, wheezing and run- 
ning at the nose, then rush to town for disinfectants 
and diarrhoea medicine and have a general house- 
cleaning and a lot of sick calves. Prevention is al- 
ways wise. 

"The young calf is better beside the dam from 3 
to 6 weeks of age. Then it can be put in the calf 
cot and nursed twice daily, 12 hours apart. This 
is especially good with a heifer's first calf. It de- 
velops her udder and makes her a better mother 
in the future. Supply the calf cot with the choicest 
morsel or hay and have shelled corn, oats, bran and 
a little oilcake in silage, so they can nibble at will. 
What good millers tliey are and how they enjoy 
doing their own grinding! But a word of caution 
about silage: Never let a young calf get frozen or 
musty silage. Alfalfa is rapidly replacing roots 
and silage, but I still believe good silage the best 
substitute for milk. 

"The yearlings and two-year-olds in the open 
sheds need lots of roughness and should have some 
grain. Never let them stop growing a day if you 
expect to raise good young cows at the least pos- 
sible expense. And remember that water is an all- 
important factor in winter as well as summer — not 
once every other day or a bellyful of ice water once 
a day. What a mint of money is lost in the cattle 
business in this country for want of water summer 
and winter! 

"Alfalfa and silage are rapidly changing feeding 
conditions throughout this country but the general 
principles are still the same. It is still the good herd 
bull and the breeder who stays close to nature, 
watching the little details which the other breeder 
ignores, that forges ahead and gets the ripe persim- 
mons. 'The eye of the master maketh his cattle fat 
and the righteous man is merciful to his beast. ' ' ' 



PRACTICAI HERD MANAGEMENT 1005 

Scale, Flesh and Fat. — Discussing the important 
subject of size and real flesh as against mere outside 
fat, the veteran English breeder, Mr. John Hill of 
Felhampton Court, in a letter written to the author 
some years ago commented upon type and the points 
to be observed in his judgment in selecting breeding 
animals in language which we deem worthy of 
preservation here: 

"About the time of what may be called the 'Here- 
ford boom' in the early '80 's there were several pop- 
ular sires which were especially adapted to get early- 
maturing cattle, and their progeny were unusually 
successful in the showring. Many breeders 'went 
mad' over these special strains and further set the 
seal on a type which had an extraordinary aptitude 
to fatten, put on flesh evenly, and mature early. Of 
course this is exactly what is wanted, but the great- 
est possible care is at the same time required to pre- 
serve scale and lean meat, and this was too often 
lost sight of both by breeders and by the judges in 
the showring. 

''With reference to breeding for scale, it may be 
worth noticing that in old days when the breed was 
remarkable for this characteristic, the females were 
not usually of such dimensions as might have been 
expected that the dams of the large oxen would 
have been. But there was a peculiar look about 
them which can hardly be described, which expe- 
rienced cattlemen can at once recognize. The words, 
'she looks like a good breeder,' convey a particular 
meaning. Such cows are essentially feminine in 
their appearance, of moderate size, with well sprung 
ribs, roomy bodies, lengthy hind-quarters, often light 
in their fore-quarters, of clean-cut sweet-looking 
heads, with mild intelligent eyes. Usually she car- 



1006 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ries a good bag and is always a good handler. When 
looking- for a suitable mate, at once discard any bull 
that has not got a good masculine head. I do not be- 
lieve that an effeminate-looking bull, however good 
he may be in his quality and carcass, can ever make 
an impressive sire. Some few of them may get heif- 
ers, but never in my experience have I known them to 
get good bulls. A bull should carry himself majes- 
tically, and 'look a bull all over.' " 

How the Harris Herd Is Handled. — The records of 
latter-day Hereford breeding in the United States 
present no instance of outstanding success more not- 
able than that afforded by Overton Harris and his 
sons with their Model establishment at Harris, Mo. 
Asked for a brief resume of the methods employed 
in the handling of their cattle, Mr. Harris says: 

"Our Hereford breeding herd since its establish- 
ment twenty years ago has been handled in as prac- 
tical and economical a manner as we have known 
how to practice. Our pastures are more or less pro- 
tected by timber, and many cows in our herd have 
never seen the inside of a barn or shed. Located 
in one of the best bluegrass regions of the world, 
the summer ration of our herd is bluegrass — plenty 
of it and nothing else. 

"During the early winter stalk fields and blue- 
grass which has not been heavily grazed furnish an 
abundance o* feed. Later, corn fodder, clover and 
timothy liaj are supplied as required to keep the 
breeding herd in strong thrifty condition. In the 
late winter and early spring months cows that are 
heavy milkers, and we have many such in our herd, 
are given a little extra feed — anything in the form 
of corn chop ,>r cottonseed. We find that the rugged 
hardy constitutions of the Herefords do not require 



1008 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

that they be provided with expensive barns for win- 
ter shelter; in fact, we do not even find it necessary 
to provide sheds of any kind for them. We have 
never, even during the most severe winters known 
in this section of the country, found it necessary 
to give our older cattle protection, and we have never 
had losses from exposure. By this method our breed- 
ing herd is carried through the year at a minimum 
cost and maintains a very thrifty and healthy con- 
dition. 

' ' Calves, except those intended for show purposes, 
are allowed to run with their dams on the pasture 
during the summer. When old enough to wean they 
are placed in a pasture or yard by themselves and 
are given a light grain ration during the winter, 
and except in the most severe weather are never 
housed at all. During the second summer bluegrass 
is their chief diet and they seldom if ever taste grain 
again. Our heifers are bred at from eighteen to 
twenty-four months of age and it is seldom that we 
find it necessary to give a heifer any assistance in 
the way of feed while nursing her first calf, except 
what she gathers herself. Young bulls generally 
require a light feed of grain once a day during their 
second summer to insure the best development and 
growth. 

"Our herd and stock bulls, all of which have at 
some time been grand champions in the leading 
shows, are not kept in extremely high condition after 
we are through exhibiting them. They have the run 
of small grass paddocks. This gives them an oppor- 
tunity for plenty of exercise and an abundance of 
fresh air and a sun shed, our aim being to keep 
them in strong vigorous condition. Beau Donald 
5th, now sixteen years old, has been handled in this 
manner and is still active and doing good service. 

"Our experience with close in-breeding has been 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1009 

very limited, as we have never looked with a great 
deal of favor upon such a practice. It is our belief 
that it should only be undertaken in the hands of 
the most skillful breeders, and then only with such 
animals as are practically perfect in every respect. 
We have never kept an accurate account of the exact 
cost of maintaining our breeding herd, but we do 
know that our Herefords have made us plenty of 
money, as well as being the source of a great deal 
of pleasure and satisfaction." 

McCray's Methods. — Warren T. McCray, Kent- 
land, Ind., has by common consent arrived at a posi- 
tion in the Hereford business attained by but few 
of his contemporaries. This is scarcely due to luck. 
Such success does not come by chance. In response 
to a request for a word as to the general line of 
treatment accorded his cattle he submits the fol- 
lowing: 

"Regarding the management and feeding of a 
herd I would suggest that one of the most necessary 
attributes of a successful cattle manager and feeder 
is a liberal endowment of good wholesome common- 
sense, or it might be more nearly correct to say good 
cattle-sense. There is a distinction between the two 
that comes naturally and they in whom the two 
are combined are the most successful cattlemen. I 
have never made any great discovery in the feed- 
ing and management of my herd. One's success or 
failure depends upon the care and watchfulness of 
the feeder. He must be regular, attentive and watch- 
ful. He must know the particular characteristics 
of each animal under his care and cater to them, 
so that the animal will at all times do its best. 

"I am a great believer in the out-of-door life for 
the breeding herd. Nature has made laws which 



lOlO A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

have never been improved upon by man. The only- 
thing to watch is that the cattle have plenty of feed 
and water. Do not over-stock the pastures. Leave 
plenty of feed in them for fall and winter. Last 
winter I kept a bunch of dry cows on a good blue- 
grass pasture until the middle of January and they 
were as fat as one would wish when removed. 

"We commence feeding our calves as soon as they 
are old enough to eat and keep this up until they are 
past the yearling stage. I have several small lots 
or grass paddocks and the young bulls are divided 
up and placed in these over night, but in the day 
time they are put in their stalls to protect them 
from the flies and heat. We commence to breed the 
heifers when they are from twenty to twenty-four 
months of age, and begin to use the bulls lightly 
when they are about fifteen months old. I have 
never practiced in-and-in-breeding to any great ex- 
tent as I always considered it a dangerous proposi- 
tion. However, I am now conducting some experi- 
ments by breeding some daughters of Perfection 
Fairfax to some of his sons which had dams with 
a decided out-cross and whose strong characteristics 
I want to maintain. I am hoping for satisfactory 
results but at this time I am not qualified to speak 
from experience on that subject. 

"I have found a great deal of pleasure in the pur- 
suit of cattle-breeding. The acquaintances and 
friendships formed among cattlemen are the most 
loyal and lasting that can be made. The business 
has also been most profitable, but aside from this 
there comes great pleasure and satisfaction in the 
feeling that one is really doing something in the 
world that is worth while, in trying to produce and 
improve an animal that contributes more to the sup- 
port and material welfare of humanity than any 
other." 



1012 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Mr. Hazlett's Views.— Robert H. Hazlett, Eldo- 
rado, Kaiis., is known as one of the close students 
of the best contemporary methods and practices in 
the handling- of Herefords for profit. Out of the 
fullness of years of successful practical work, in 
answer to our appeal for some hints from his book 
of experience with especial reference to his observa- 
tions as to the effects of blood concentration, he 
writes: 

"I shall state in the beginning that I believe in 
giving the young animals a chance. With this in 
view I try to grow them out as much as possible, 
keeping them at all times in good thrifty condition 
— not striving to make them fat, but on the contrary 
to produce real development by feeding for flesh, 
bone and size. 

"Speaking of the heifers, specially: From the 
time they are weaned they are kept separate from all 
other cattle, in pasture in summer and in corrals, 
with open sheds for protection from storms, in win- 
ter. During the time they are not on pasture they 
are fed a grain ration consisting of a small percent- 
age of corn, a larger percentage of barley usually, 
and a considerably larger percentage of oats. All 
this feed is ground and fed mixed with kafir corn 
and cane silage or cut cane fodder and alfalfa hay. 
In addition to this mixed feed they have as rough 
feed cut cane and alfalfa hay with occasionally a 
feed of prairie hay as a change of ration. They get 
practically no grain during the summer, although 
at times when the weather is dry and the grass not 
very nutritious it is necessary in order to keep them 
in condition to give those under one year old a light 
feed of grain once a day. The older ones have no 
grain in summer. It is my opinion that better breed- 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1013 

ing animals result from being handled in this way 
than if they are allowed to become stunted in any 
degree because of lack of proper nourishment during 
the developing period. 

"After the breeding cows are two years old, with 
an occasional individual exception for a short time, 
they get no grain ration whatever, either summer 
or winter. They have the'bluestem grass pasture 
for summer feeding and are wintered mainly on 
sorghum and alfalfa. Most of this feed is run 
through the cutter, and lately the sorghum is fed 
in the form of silage. Except those near calving and 
those having young calves, the cows are not put in 
barns at all, but for protection run to sheds open to 
the south during the winter months. Whether in 
pastures in summer or in lots in winter, I like to 
keep the aged cows, two-year-old heifers, yearling 
heifers and heifer calves separate. 

"The bull calves are fed and handled in much the 
same way as the heifers, except that they are not 
allowed to run with the dams in pastures beyond 
the time they are around four to five months old. 
After that and until they are weaned they are kept 
in lots near the barn, the cows being brought in and 
the calves suckled twice a day. After being weaned 
they are not fed in open lots as are the heifers but 
are tied up and fed, each one by himself. We have 
what we call a 'bull barn' for these weanlings where 
they remain until sold. Around this barn are sev- 
eral lots in which these calves are kept, a few in 
each lot. They are in these open lots practically 
all the time, except when brought in for their feed 
of grain. I find that they do better when I feed 
them separately in this way than when I attempt to 
feed a number of them together. In the open pens 
they get the benefit of fresh air, sunshine and exer- 
cise. 



p 




PRxVCTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT * 1015 

"From the time our lierd bulls are from twenty- 
four to thirty months old, being practically matured, 
they have a very light grain ration, usually once a 
day, with alfalfa hay, prairie hay and cane fodder. 
Each has a separate lot and an open shed, never 
being kept in barns. They are not kept fat, but in 
good thrifty condition. 

''My first purchase of purebred Herefords was that 
of an entire herd consisting of only fourteen females, 
cows, heifers and heifer calves, and two bull calves. 
One of the cows was by Stonemason by Beau Real 
by Anxiety 4th. This cow was the dam of one of 
the bull calves, his sire being Wild Beau by Beau 
Real. Wild Beau was a full brother to the famous 
Wild Tom. All the younger females in the little 
herd were sired by Wild Beau. I retained this calf, 
out of the Stonemason cow, and used him on all the 
cows and heifers except his dam. I was w^ithout ex- 
perience as a breeder at that time and knew practi- 
cally nothing of different bloodlines or the different 
families, but the results of this very conservative 
close breeding were quite satisfactory and my young 
bulls found ready sale at fair prices from the begin- 
ning. I did not offer for sale any of the cows or 
heifers. 

"To avoid breeding heifers to their own sire I 
soon bought another bull, a very good individual 
with a greater concentration of Anxiety 4th blood 
than anything in my herd at that time, and the re- 
sults from his use proved very satisfactory^. In fact, 
there is no doubt but that there was an improvement 
in the produce of my herd from his use. Later, when 
the heifers sired by this bull were coming of an 
age to be bred, having the prevailing idea that too 
close breeding was to be avoided I bought two young 
bulls of different breeding from ray cows and from 
each other. One of them was a son of a famous show 



1016 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

bull. Each was a good individual and of a family 
very popular at the time. These were used in the 
herd but w4th quite disappointing results, so much 
so that I disposed of both of them. Before they 
were sold, but after I had decided to dispose of 
them, I bought a third out-cross, a show bull with 
quite a record, a half-brother on his sire's side to 
a very famous prize-winner which was grand cham- 
pion at the larger state fairs, the American Royal, 
and the International. This purchase was also an 
outstanding individual, but the results in my herd 
from his use were even more disappointing than 
those from the use of the two preceding him and 
he" also was disposed of. I then decided to return 
to the Anxiety 4tli breeding through sons of Beau 
Brummel and others tracing to Don Carlos, by 
Anxiety 4th, and have continued in the same line 
to the present time. 

"From my experience with out-crosses I am com- 
pelled to believe that whatever success I may have 
attained as a breeder is due largely to the fact of 
persistent close-breeding. At least, so far the re- 
sults of such close-breeding as has been practiced 
at Hazford Place. have been very satisfactory. Un- 
doubtedly some other elements have incidentally 
entered in, for instance, selection and environment. 
Both of these, however, are necessary to real suc- 
cessful constructive breeding in any herd. 

"While it may possibly be true that the persist- 
ent promiscuous breeding of closely related animals, 
without discrimination or selection, may bring 
greater disaster than the persistent mating of pro- 
miscuously bred animals, yet from my observation 
and experience, if only worthy animals, those of 
good conformation, quality and breed character, are 
used for breeding purposes the ultimate results are 
bound to be better in the closely bred herd, produc- 




Copyright photo by Parsons 
LORD COVE.NTRY'S DOLI.Y MOUNT— ROYAL CHAINIPIOX OF 1911. 




Copyright photo by .Parsons 
SnOTOVER AND BULL CALF— JOHN TUDGE'S ROYAL CHAMPION OF 1001. 



1018 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

ing offspring more uniform in type and more uni- 
formly equal or superior to either sire or dam. After 
all, this is only another way of saying that 'like be- 
gets like or the like of some' ancestor. ' 

''If it is possible that close-breeding in itself will 
produce a weakness or defect in the offspring when 
both sire and dam are of outstanding merit, neither 
having this weakness or defect and both tracing 
back to the same ancestors of equal merit, there must 
be for such a result a demonstrable scientific reason. 
So far investigators and students of the science of 
breeding have not discovered any physiological or 
other scientific reason. If neither sire nor dam, 
however closely related, has a certain or particular 
defect or weakness and none of their ancestors has 
been affected with such defect or weakness their 
offspring will not have it as a result of this mating. 
The quite common notion that it is otherwise, and 
that defects and weaknesses are the necessary re- 
sults of blood concentration, undoubtedly had its 
origin in sentiment and survives on ' common report, ' 
scarcely anyone having attempted to solve the prob- 
lem by persistent, patient, personal effort. 

"Custom may make law, but tradition never estab- 
lished or created a physical or scientific fact, nor can 
folk-lore make or change a law of nature. ' ' 

Tow's Practical Work. — Cyrus A. Tow has to 
his credit a marked success in breeding and devel- 
opment of "classy" Herefords in the recent past. 
In fact, he has proved quite a "disturber" in the 
calculations of his competitors at leading shows. 
He tells the story of the breeding of his cattle in 
simple language: 

"It is about eight years ago since I became the 
owner of my first registered Hereford cow. It was 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1019 

bread and butter with me, so every cow had to 
make good. The cows of breeding age will care 
for themselves if given half a chance. We always 
aim to care well for the younger ones. Our cows 
are all run on grass in summer and those giving 
milk or heavy in calf are housed in winter. We 
feed nice clean oat straw in connection with silage 
for winter roughness. The young calves and year- 
lings are always run in paddocks around the barn 
where they get their feed. We always keep our 
calves separate from their dams. They are suckled 
in barns or yards. Our yearling heifers and short 
two-year-olds are left to run in open sheds in winter 
and are fed their silage and hay in racks. We 
breed everything at the halter and never breed a 
heifer younger than nineteen months. Our young 
bull calves are separated from the heifer calves at 
about four months old. We try and grow them all 
alike, giving them all an equally good chance to make 
good. Our herd bulls are housed in winter and 
grained daily the year around, except for only a 
few months in summer when grass is good their 
grain may be shut off. They have boxstalls to run 
in when in the barns. 

"In regard to the 'doubling in' of blood in the 
breeding of cattle, I am very much opposed to the 
practice as a general proposition. I know that in 
some cases it has brought good ones, but we some- 
times forget to mention the cases where it has 
failed. I may add that the cattle business has been 
a success with me thus far, and I believe that the 
beef cow is as sound an investment as a farmer can 
make. ' ' 

Bluegrass Management. — Luce & Moxley, Shelby- 
ville, Ky., of Prince Rupert fame, figure prominently 
in the showyard annals of recent years in all the 



1020 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

great competitions. Their success in the bluegrass 
country has been pronounced. Mr. Moxley briefly 
outlines their herd management in the following 
terms: 

''In this part of the state we usually have good 
bluegrass for grazing from May to middle of Decem- 
ber. Our Herefords need no attention as far as 
feeding goes during this season. The calves that 
come during this season are left with their dams 
until bad w^eather comes, when they are taken to 
the barn and if old enough are weaned and fed a 
mixture of corn, oats, bran, and either cottonseed 
meal or oilmeal. 

"The cows with calves at side are fed silage, 
cottonseed meal and a little hay. These cows are 
kept up at night and run to shock fodder in the day- 
time if the weather is not too bad. The dry cows 
are left out and run to a strawrick and shock fodder, 
unless we have a mean spell of w^eather, then they 
are fed a little hay. We aim to start our cows into 
the winter in the best shape possible. The cows 
that calve in the early spring are taken up a month 
before calving and fed the same as the cows with 
calves at side. By putting the younger calves in 
pens with older ones they soon begin to eat a little 
feed. We take the best of care of our calves until 
they are about fifteen months old. It is our expe- 
rience that if we do this we have very few of the 
cheap kind. All of our breeding is done by halter. 
We have a small herd and find this plan quite satis- 
factory. ' ' 

Fitting for Show. — The selection and making-up 
of cattle to be entered in the public competitions is 
not a topic that lends itself readily to treatment in 
cold type. No hard and fast rules can be given. 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1021 

Especially is this true of any attempt at giving ex- 
plicit directions governing the feeding of the ani- 
mals intended for show or sale. And yet there is 
constant call for suggestions upon this subject from 
those who are without experience. 

An Old-time Herdsman Speaks. — The name of Jim 
Powell is often mentioned in preceding chapters of 
this volume. None among the older generation of 
feeders is better qualified to talk upon this subject 
than he. We are glad to give space to a short dis- 
course from him, prepared at our request: 

' ' In starting to select a herd for showing I should 
get yearlings. In selecting these get smooth heif- 
ers with plenty of size, something that will make 
big cows. I would notice especially that they had 
good heads, with not too large horns, and that they 
were good in their heart-girths, and had good level 
backs with straight hind-quarters, and that they 
came down well in the round and that the tail was 
not set on too high. I would try to get them as 
near the same size and tj^pe as possible. 

"Upon the selection of the bull a great deal de- 
pends, for he is more than half the herd. You want 
a bull to have a good bull's head, not feminine, wide 
between the horns, and with a short thick neck. He 
should be wide between the legs, with a good com- 
pact brisket. Be sure that he has good big bone, 
something that can carry weight. Another very im- 
portant point to notice is that he is good in the 
heart-girth, and has a good level back and straight 
quarters. He should have a good thick mellow hide 
with good coat of hair, which denotes the good 
feeder. 

' ' In feeding a herd I have found that com and oats 




Copyright photo by Bustln 
IRON PRINCE (22250), BRED BY CAPT. HEYGATE. 




Copyright photo by Bustln 
GAINSBOROUGH (2S303), BRED BY A. P. TURNER AND USED BY 
STEPHEN ROBINSON. 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1023 

ground together in the proportion of two-thirds corn 
and one-third oats is a good winter feed. Alfalfa, 
timothy or clover make good roughness. In the 
summer I would reverse the ratio, making it one- 
third corn and two-thirds oats. In starting a young- 
herd about 2 quarts of chops, 1 of bran and a half 
pound of cottonseed cake three times a day is a good 
feed. This can be increased to 4 quarts of chops as 
soon as the cattle get on their feed. However, dif- 
ferent animals vary so much in the amount of feed 
they require, that it is impossible to give any stated 
quantity. Always be sure your feed-boxes are empt)^ 
before feeding, as cleanliness is important. Never 
give an animal more than it will clean up. If any 
is left in the box, take it out before feeding again. 
If they do not seem anxious for their feed «kip a 
meal. A little sulphur with their feed twice a week 
is good to give them an appetite and also to keep 
them healthy. 

''Now, I think calves should have nothing but the 
cows' milk until they are three months old. Then 
commence to feed a little cottonseed cake, with oats 
and bran, as I think cake is the next thing to milk 
for young calves. When they are six months old, 
they should have about 2 quarts of oats and bran 
and a half pound of cake three times a day, besides 
the cows' milk. Then they will not lose their calf 
fat after weaning. 

' ' In training young cattle much patience and time 
are required. In the first place tie them up in their 
stalls and handle them in there. Then commence 
leading them out. Have a buggy whip in your hand 
and make them stand when you want them to. A 
light cut on the nose will do this. Try to make them 
stand with their front feet well under them, not 
spread apart, and then they will show a good level 
back. Make them stand at ease. Do not try to 



1024 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

do too much at once, as the calf may become sulky. 
They should have plenty of exercise. 

"The young bull should have a boxstall, with a 
good yard to run out in, so as to keep him good on 
his feet. In the sjjring, when the grass is good, I 
would let the herd run out day and night, feeding 
them twice a day. When the weather gets warmer 
I would keep them in by day and turn them out by 
night. 

"When the herd is brought back from the fairs 
great care must be taken to let them down easily. 
Feed twice a day, taking away about one-third of 
the feed. In a week or two, this may be cut down 
to one-half. But do not stop feeding, as you want 
to keep your herd in good thriving condition. In 
place of the corn chops, I would now feed about 2 
pounds of cake with roughness, and this should 
carry a herd through." 

Ed. Taylor's Views. — Edward J. Taylor has not 
only picked and trained champions, but is often 
called to pass upon tlie entries in the great show- 
yards of these modern days. He has kindly set 
down his views on the preparation of cattle for exhi- 
bition purposes as herewith submitted: 

' ' Much has been written from time to time regard- 
ing the fitting and handling of cattle in preparation 
for the showring, and few trainers agree as to the 
variety of feeds and methods pursued in the under- 
taking. Like the old lady who kissed her cow, it's 
everyone to their notion. There are no set rules to 
work by. Animals differ very materially in their 
dispositions, aptitude to fatten, etc. But there are a 
few fundamental principles which apply quite gen- 
erally to the art. 

"First of all, the man must be in love with his 
occupation and charges, and gain their confidence. 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1025 

He sliould also be a good and impartial judge, and 
as quick to see the defects in his own cattle as in 
those of others. One who gets so enraptured with 
his own as to think they are the only pebbles on the 
beach is sure to be a bad loser, or as Burns puts it: 
If nature 'd but the 'giftie gie us, to see oursels as 
ithers see us.' Eternal vigilance must be the lit- 
ter's watchword, and regularity and system cut no 
small figure in the game. 

"Having selected the prosjDective winners and 
provided comfortable quarters, a light, well-venti- 
lated basement, with well-bedded, roomy boxstalls, 
makes a nice place and he should be ready for busi- 
ness. In fly time the windows may be curtained 
through the heat of the day, and no unnecessary 
disturbance should be allowed around. 

"I think that the calves are the easiest fitted mem- 
bers of the herd, and I shall touch on them first. 
Given plenty of milk and a mixture of grains, if 
they are of the right kind they will put on plenty 
of bloom. Calves seem to have a weakness for 
shelled corn, and this mixed with equal parts of 
ground oats and bran and kept where they can have 
access to it at will for the first three or four months 
of their lives will put them in shape so that one 
can select those most likely. Occasionally an out- 
stander puts in an appearance, about which there is 
no question when only a day or two old, but this 
is the exception rather than the rule. When the 
calves are about four months old I think it better 
to feed the corn ground, and add a small amount 
of oilmeal, feeding what they will clean up at once. 
Absolute cleanliness of feed-boxes and stalls is es- 
sential with all, especially with calves. 

"The yearlings receive similar treatment to the 
calves. Some prefer to continue with the milk por- 
tion of the ration while others think it time to call 



1026 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

a halt when they graduate from the calf class. With 
a few exceptions I usually followed the latter course. 
It is when he gets to the two-year-old and older 
cattle that a fitter's discretion is put to the test, and 
right here many a one has met his Waterloo. The 
time has come now when corn must be handed out 
sparingly. More oats, a little barley if obtainable, 
succulent feeds such as roots, and anything that will 
aid them to hold their own without a tendency to 
obesity or patchiness should be used. Ground or 
cracked wheat is very helpful at this stage, but 
should be fed sparingly to start with. A double 
handful of bright clover hay, cut fine with a chaff 
cutter and mixed with each feed of grain, lightens the 
ration and makes it more easily assimilated in hot 
weather, I prefer to dampen the feed just enough to 
make it gritty, not sloppy. 

'' Exercise is a very important matter. A small 
pasture lot handy to the barn so that the females 
can run out nights through the hot weather, and suit- 
able yards for the bulls are indispensable. All 
should be well halter-broken and taught to stand 
properly and show to best advantage. The feet 
should have close attention and be trimmed when 
necessary. The coat and skin must be kept clean 
by brushing and dampening occasionally; too fre- 
quent washing dries the hair and causes it to become 
thin. I never advocate rasping and paring the horns 
and polishing as we so often see them; it savors 
too much of the artificial. I think they look more 
natural with the rough shell and scratches taken out, 
and just wiped over with an oiled rag. 

"There are many small details in connection with 
the business, and it is a difficult matter to touch on 
all, but I have tried to cover the ground in a general 
way. When a boy at home I have often heard my 
father say, 'One-half goes in at the mouth.' And 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1027 

while there is a good deal of truth in the assertion 
I think that is a pretty big percentage. As an illus- 
tration I recall a remark made by my old friend 
Robert Ewart, of Browndale fame, in regard to a 
cow I was showing at the Minnesota State Fair some 
years ago. In those days all breeds competed for 
championship-by-ages and she was a formidable 
candidate for that honor. After looking her over 
carefully he turned to me and said, 'If the old bull 
(meaning her sire) had done half as much for her 
as you have, she would be a world beater.' 

' ' In preparing cattle for the auction ring the chief 
object is to have them in as good flesh and as pre- 
sentable as possible. Fat hides a multiplicity of 
faults, and while many breeders claim to discrim- 
inate against highly finished animals for breeding 
I notice these are invariably the ones which com- 
mand the highest prices. Whenever a sale falls 
flat and prices rule low the reporter's comments 
usually state the cattle were too thin to warrant the 
appreciation they deserved, or something to that 
effect. So there is little to be said other than to 
have each lot number in good consistent breeding 
condition (not overburdened, of course), well broken 
to the halter. Having been washed a day or two 
previous, and their coats dressed up for the occa- 
sion, they should present a good appearance and 
bring their full value. The vendor who values his 
reputation will of course guarantee all animals to 
be breeders." 

"Jim" Hendry Heard. — The extraordinary success 

attained by the Beau Donald and Perfection Fair- 
fax cattle in the hands of James Hendry is so uni- 
versally recognized, that the matter herewith ap- 
pended, setting forth a few of the ideas of that astute 
herdsman on the subject of training cattle for the 




GeorgeShand 



George Hendry \ 



PRACTICAL HERD MANAGEMENT 1029 

sliowring, will undoubtedly be read with interest by 
all who follow the fortunes of the breed in public 
competitions. 

"I came to America in 1892. Before I came 
to this country my experience with cattle was very 
little, but what I had was with Angus, with Alex. 
Geddes, Blairmore, Glass. I started with the Here- 
fords at Greenwood, Mo. I was but a helper then. 
The first summer I used to wish I had the cattle 
back in Scotland away from flies and heat. But 
as fall crept on and homesickness left me I began 
to see I was mistaken. The old imported cows came 
up in the fall so fat and sleek, and the nice curly 
calves by their sides made me think I was in the 
land of promise and made me forget heat and flies. 

"I went to Kentucky in the fall of 1901 to take 
charge of the Beau Donalds and Mr. Curtice had a 
line-up of calves which was very easy to pick from. 
They were low-down, chunky fellows with coats of 
hair like velvet. I always try to get a calf with 
good back, not too long coupled, nice short head and 
good straight hind legs. I commence as soon as I 
think the dam is not giving enough milk and help 
out with a nurse cow — not too much to start with, 
one nurse cow between two calves until grass. Then 
if prospects are good for show calves, which can be 
told by this time, I give them a fresh nurse cow and 
dry up the dams. When about six weeks old I 
commence to put a little cracked corn and oats in 
a trough where they can learn to eat. In sunnner 
time I keep them in a dark, clean, cool stall away 
from flies, with plenty of water beside them. But 
in the winter months I turn them out in a dry lot 
with plenty of sunshine. But do not stand them in 
the mud a foot deep all day and expect them to do 
their best. The better care and feed you give them 



1030 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the first year of their life the better herd of cattle 
you have. It does not take so much when they are 
calves. Eemember, it is not every calf that comes 
up to my estimation as a show calf by any means, 
because they have to have a good constitution and 
stand up to every meal and bawl for the nurse cow. 
Bull calves are harder to handle than heifers. They 
are more restless and sometimes you have to put 
them in single boxstalls or tie them up. 

"And for fitting older cattle I might say a good 
deal. But of course there are differences in cattle. 
Some get too hard and the next too soft, so one has 
to gauge the different feeds on them. I do not be- 
lieve in too much corn. More breeding cattle are 
ruined on corn than anything else. I generally 
mix my feed — bran, 100 pounds; corn, 150 pounds; 
oats, 150 pounds; cut hay, 30 pounds, and oilmeal, 
10 pounds. Towards show time I add a little mo- 
lasses or something sweet and it makes them eat a 
little more. And it helps their hair to grow. But 
remember, never feed them more than they will 
clean up at any time. Water is as important as feed, 
as they have to get plenty all the time. Keep your 
stalls clean and well disinfected all the time, because 
they love a good clean stall the same as we do a 
bed. In your spare time in winter get a good stiff 
brush and brush them, as it makes the hair soft 
and curly. Use it as much as possible against the 
hair. Some people try to say that too much brush- 
ing will take out the hair, but I have never found it 
that way, as the more brushing you give them the 
better fix you get their hair in. I do not mean to 
use a curry-comb but a good stiff brush. A curry- 
comb is liable to pull out the hair. 

"As show time draws near wash them once a week. 
It helps them and also the calves. It breaks them 
so that when you wash them at the fair they are 




Copyright photo br PaTSOM 
ROB ROY, CHAMPION AT THE ROYAL SHOWS OF 190S-9. 




Copyright photo by 
CAMERONIAN, CHAMPION AT THE ROYAL OF 1906. 



1032 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

not SO liable to get homesick as the calf generally 
does the first two weeks after you leave home. The 
best way to fit a herd is to stay right with it and 
raise your calves and keep showing them until they 
are mature cattle. Then you can see something you 
have done, and are not moving eyerj year as some 
of the boys do. They cannot know in that length of 
time what success they are to have, as some years 
we have better prospects than others. 

"In conclusion, I love to raise show cattle from 
babyhood up. And no one loves them more than I, 
but when the buyer comes along I am willing to sell 
and wish him success, and try and raise a better 
one." 



CHAPTER XXV. 
THE 'GROUND-UP." 

In the limited space now remaining it is im- 
possible for us to take up in detail the winnings 
of Hereford bullocks at the International show 
since its establishment, and the achievements of 
the western-bred white-faced calves in cornbelt 
feedlots generally. A volume could be prepared 
on this one phase of the Hereford trade. Indeed, 
the value of well bred "white faces" in the 
baby beef business constitutes their one highest 
claim to the permanent consideration of the Ameri- 
can public. They will get fat quickly if from well 
bred stock, and their record in the pens at the big 
Chicago show, as well as at the Kansas City, Den- 
ver, Fort Worth, St. Joseph, So. Omaha, Sioux City 
and So. St. Paul shows and markets, needs no de- 
tailed exploitation in this connection. It is a part 
of the current literature of the cattle business that 
is at all times accessible to the readers of the live 
stock press, 

''Tom" Sotham was probably one of the first to 
exploit in a commercial way the transferring of 
range-bred Hereford calves direct to cornbelt farms. 
During the season of 1898 he purchased more than 
2,000 calves in Texas to fill orders for customers in 

1033 



1034 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the middle west, paying $24 to $25 per head at that 
time at the point of shipment, charging his cus- 
tomers a commission of $1 a head for the service. 
He also assisted *'Dick" Walsh in an auction sale 
of 400 JJ calves at Kansas City in November, 1898, 
at which a $37 average was made. The results of 
the feeding of these calves in good hands were so 
satisfactory that a large trade of this sort developed, 
which still stands as an important feature of the 
business of cattle feeding in the older states. 

*'Dan" Black of Lyndon, 0., by virtue of his vic- 
tories with Texas-bred calves at the International, 
contributed largely to the up-building of this trade. 
John G. Imboden, C C. Judy and others have also 
been instrumental in bringing many feeders in direct 
contact with the southwestern producers. Mr. Im- 
boden feeds regularly himself, and his intelligence 
and fairness are so generally recognized, and his ex- 
perience as a butcher, exhibitor and judge at leading 
shows of the past twenty-five years has been so ex- 
tended, that we have asked him to say a word at this 
point on this general subject. 

Range-bred Calves in the Feedlot. — Mr. Imboden 
says : 

^'I have demonstrated the value of the range-bred 
Hereford calf and yearling for the cornbelt feedlot 
in a number of instances during the past twelve 
years. About the year 1900 I purchased in southern 
Texas at Beeville 50 Hereford steer calves. They 
reached my place about Dec. 20, when the thermome- 
ter was about 15° below zero. The change in alti- 
tude and temperature from southern Texas near the 




D.W.Biack 



1036 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

gulf to Illinois did not unfavorably affect them. 
They made a satisfactory growth and gains from 
the beginning, and at the International the next 
year 15 head were first in class from the southern 
district. I have fed other Hereford calves from 
southern Texas, and they invariably did well. 

*'In 1906 I exhibited at the International 15 
Hereford yearling steers averaging 1,174 pounds 
a*t $8.90 per cwt. They were first in their class 
from the southern district, and champion Hereford 
yearlings of the show. These steers were bred by 
Boog-Scott Bros. They were the top out of 50 
calves that averaged 375 pounds Dec. 15, 1905. 

''In November, 1904, '05, '06 and '07, 1 sold at my 
place several thousand southern calves and year- 
lings. They came covered with the Texas fever 
ticks, were put in the barn with native cattle, and 
when sold were shipped as far east as New York, 
and south to Virginia. I never heard of a case of 
Texas fever that developed from exposure to these 
tick-infested calves and yearlings that left Texas 
for the north after Nov. 1. They invariably fed 
well. 

"For a number of years I fed Hereford calves 
and yearlings from the noted ^6666^ herd, bred and 
owned by Mr. S. B. Burnett. These yearling and 
two-year-old steers have been exhibited at the Chi- 
cago International, and have made quite a record. 
A number of times the two-year-olds were the 
champion Herefords of the show, and at the Inter- 
national of 1913 the ^6666^ Hereford yearlings that 
I fed were the champion Hereford yearlings of the 
show. They averaged 1,100 pounds and sold at 
$10.45. 

"All the Herefords I have sold I have handled in 
very much the same way; I have had them about 




Photos by Hildebrand 



TWO ENDS AND A ^[I^)DI.I: -TKIZK LOADS AT THE INTERNATIONAL 
LIVE STOCK EXPOSITION. 



1038 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

111/^ months on feed and about 10 months on full 
feed. The calves and yearlings have made about 
the same average gains — from 600 to 700 pounds. 
I feed principally corn and cob meal and linseed or 
cottonseed meal. I have fed and exhibited and won 
first in class with Hereford calves bred in Wyoming 
and Colorado. I think the heaviest load of Here- 
ford yearling steers ever shown at the International 
were Colorado-breds that I fed in 1907. These 
steers had a foundation of Shorthorn in their breed- 
ing and averaged 1,270 pounds. 

"I find the Wyoming- and Colorado-bred calf has 
more bone and scale than the Texas-bred calf, but 
the growth and development o^ the southern calf 
coming to the higher altitude of the cornbelt is more 
noticeable than those" of the Wyoming or Colorado 
calf coming to a lower altitude. I am now feeding 
20 Matador yearlings for the International of 1914. 
These steers were champion Hereford yearling 
feeders at last International, their weight then be- 
ing 818 pounds. They have been on full fed since 
March 10; they averaged on May 1, 1,180 pounds. 

''The average feeder of course is not interested 
in the production of show steers, but with the in- 
creasing demand for lighter cuts of prime beef, the 
prevailing high prices of all feeding cattle, and the 
high average cost of all feed products that enter 
into beef production, the successful feeder of the 
future must consider early-maturity, economy of 
gain and value of product, and where these are con- 
sidered the Hereford calf or yearling, whether 
range-bred or farm-raised, for the cornbelt feedlot 
has no superior. 

''With the present-day demand for lighter cuts 
of prime beef and the increased advance of the ini- 
tial cost of all our feeding cattle, and a high aver- 



THE '^'^ round-up'' 1039 

age cost of all feed products tliat enter into the 
production of beef, the successful feeder of the fu- 
ture must seriously consider the question of early- 
maturity, cost of production and value of product 
produced. When these questions are considered, 
the favor in which the Hereford calf, whether 
range-bred or farm-raised, is held by the cornbelt 
feeder is merited, from the fact that for early- 
maturity, economy of production and value of 
product the Hereford has no superior." 

The Polled Herefords. — That hornless cattle are 
popular among feeders goes without saying. The 
polled characteristic is certainly not without its de- 
cided advantages. Indeed, this fact has had much 
to do with the success met with by the Aberdeen- An- 
gus and Galloways in this country. Dehorned Here- 
fords are common at the stockyard markets and 
in our great fat cattle shows. 

At the time Gov. Simpson made his selections of 
pedigree cattle in Herefordshire for importation to 
the States, he was also buying Aberdeen- Angus. In 
fact, Messrs. Gudgell & Simpson originally had one 
of the best collections of black polls in the west. 
Gov. Simpson at that time endeavored to locate a 
naturally polled white-faced bull somewhere in 
Herefordshire for importation for experimental 
purposes, but in this was not successful. Had he 
succeeded, the polled Hereford might have become 
a feature of American cattle-breeding at a much 
earlier date. 

In the year 1901 Mr. Warren Gammon, Des 
Moines, la., circularized the members of the Ameri- 



1040 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

can Hereford Cattle Breeders' x\ssociatioii, asking 
if any hornless "freaks" had ever appeared in their 
respective herds. As a result of this correspond- 
ence 14 head of registered Herefords that had never 
developed horns were brought to light. They were 
the property of reputable breeders, so that there 
could be no question as to their pure descent. Ten 
of these were females, and four were bulls. Mr. 
Gammon bought all of the latter and seven of the 
cows, and began mating them, with the result that 
practically all the calves dropped were polled; and 
it is stated that these polled bulls when mated with 
horned Hereford cows gave 50 to 75 per cent of 
hornless calves. This was the beginning of the 
Polled Herefords of the present time. 

A national organization was formed about 1907, 
with a membership of five. In 1913 this had grown 
to 296, and the herd book now maintained by the 
organization shows a total registry of over 4,000 
head. Mr. J. E. Green, Muncie, Ind., has been the 
President of this association from the beginning. 
Up to 1911 the founder of the type, Mr. Warren 
Gammon, served as Secretary, but he has now been 
succeeded by his son Mr. B. 0. Gammon, who esti- 
mates that there are at this writing between 5,000 
and 6,000 head of these cattle in the country. The 
movement corresponds identically with that which 
resulted in the foundation and formation of the 
Polled Durham association, whose members are 
handling hornless cattle of the pure Shorthorn or 
Durham blood, l)oth cases representing an effort 



THE ''round-up^' 1041 

to dispense with the horned characteristic of eacli 
breed without resort to artificial means. 

Recent Importations. — In a previous chapter 
there was presented a tabulation covering the 
early importations from England, and extending 
down through the entire period of active buying 
on the other side by American breeders. After the 
$100 registration fee on imported cattle was put in 
effect importations practically ceased for a time. 
This so-called ''tax" was repealed by the associa- 
tion in 1891. From the accompanying supplementary 

IMPOnTATIONS OF HEREFORD CATTLE TO THE UNITED 

STATES FROM ENGLAND SINCE 1893. 

Date Importer Address Number 

1893 H. H. Clough Elyria, O ?, 

1893 Gudgell & Simpson Independence, Mo 1 

1898 C. S. Cross Emporia, Kans 43 

1898 K. B. Armour Kansas City, Mo 85 

1898 Shadeland Stock Co Lafayette. Ind 1 

1899 K. B. Armour Kansas City, Mo 132 

1899 W. G. Busk Coleman, Tex 17 

1899 Geo. Leig-li Aurora, 111. 70 

1899 A. J. Libby & Son Oakland, Me 1 

1899 John Sparks Reno, Nev 8 

1899 T F. B. Sotham Chillicothe, Mo 1 

1900 F. A. Nave Attica, Ind 30 

1900 John N. Tavlor Huntsville, Mo 6 

1900 A. E. Reynolds Denver, Colo 38 

1901 K. B. Armour Kansas City, Mo 219 

1901 W. G. Busk Coleman, Tex 11 

1901 C. A. Jamison Peoria, 111 1 

1901 Geo. Leigrh Aurora, 111 25 

1901 T. E. ]\IiL!er Oak Park, 111 2 

1901 F. A. Nave Attica, Ind 7 

1901 T H. Pugh Carthag-e, Mo 6 

1902 Geo. Leiffh Aurora, 111 107 

1902 W. B. Tudg-e Craven Arms, Salop, England 13 

1903 Charles W. Armour Kansas City, Mo 112 

1904 A. R. Firkins Worcester. England 1 

1913 Geo. Leigh Aurora, 111 50 

Total 1,010 

tabulation it will be observed that during the decade 
ending with 1913 but one animal was imported. More 
recently there have been indications of a possible 
revival of this business, although not on any ex- 



THE '^'^ round-up" 1043 

tended scale. The importation made by Mr. Leigh 
in the summer of 1913 included the good show bull 
Farmer, purchased and now owned by Mr. McCray. 
Mr. Leigh undertook an additional importation dur- 
ing 1914, but the embargo laid on exports by Great 
Britain on account of the European war interfered 
with purchases and sliipments. A special license 
for the exportation of pedigree animals has to be 
obtained from the Privy Council pending the ter- 
mination of hostilities. 

Distribution of the Heref ords.— Believing that an 
approximate general idea of the distribution of 
pedigree Heref ords in different parts of the United 
States would be of interest, the author requested 
Secretary Kinzer of the Hereford association to 
prepare some figures covering this point. These 
are submitted herewith. The figures are based on 

APPROXIMATE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGES OF REGISTERED 

HEREFORDS IN THE VARIOUS STATES, 

state Per cent Number State Per cent Number 

Iowa in. 5 19,S00 Arizona 1. 1,200 

Texas 14. 16,800 New Mexico 0.75 900 

Missouri 11.5 14,&00 Oregon 0.75 900 

Kansas 10. 12,000 California 0.75 900 

Illinois 9. 10,800 Wisconsin 0.75 900 

Nebraska 6. 7,200 Tennessee 0.5 600 

South Dakota 5. 6,000 Utah 0.5 600 

Indiana 3. 3,600 Maine 0.5 600 

Wyoming- 2.5 3,000 Virginia 0.5 600 

Minnesota 2.2 2,640 Michigan 0.5 600 

Colorado 2.2 2,640 Idaho 0.5 600 

West Virginia... 2. 2.400 Washington 0.25 250 

Montana 1.5 1,800 Arkansas 0.25 250 

Kentucky 1.2 1,400 ^Missi.ssippi 0.25 250 

North Dakota.... 1. 1,200 Nevada 0.25 250 

Oklahoma 1. 1,200 North Carolina... 0.25 250 

Ohio 1. 1,200 

an estimate of a total of 120,000 head of registered 
cattle now living, and include all states in which 
there are 250 head or more. 



10'14 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

Some Interesting Tabulations. — It had been the 
purpose of the writer to undertake at this point a 
detailed analysis of the various bloodlines and com- 
binations entering into the production of the 
greatest Hereford sires and show bulls of these lat- 
ter days, but again we are faced with the fact that 
such endeavor must be deferred from an absolute 
lack of space. All that has preceded leads up logic- 
ally to such a procedure, by way of drawing conclu- 
sions based upon the lessons of the sales, shows, 
breeding operations and importations herein re- 
corded, but this must now be reserved for another 
occasion or for such students as may see fit to work 
them out from the mass of facts contained in the 
foregoing chapters. There are several other mat- 
ters still to be touched upon, and we have either to 
end this part of our study here or face the necessity 
of beginning another volume. This one is already 
too fat. We shall, therefore, content ourselves with 
merely inserting at this point a few tabulations that 
suggest themselves as of special interest at this 
time in connection with contemporary sale and show- 
yard events. 

PERFECTION 92891. 

Columbus f ^^'^ «f Shadeland 41st 33378 { g|Se Wilton 19017 



Dale 66481.. 



51875 j p„. oonK) / Prince Edward 7001 



Pet 36054 



/I 

i Jessie 4th 10907 



Rose Bios- i P^^rless Wilton 12774 -j ^^^^'f ;|ld 7m|^_^ 

som 39225 | ^,^^^^^ ,,,,, f Am.tiru,eer^9572 

fHoosier Tom/ Anxiety 2d 4580 f ^ri^ell^sf ' 

MelleyMayJ ^^^2 ^,^.^^^,,,,, \^S^^' 

( P-^^i^or,* 'ynr.a C Chieftain 2059 

R.=«KnH fifion ' P'^^^''^'^"^ 2058 1 Leonora 2060 

Rosebud 6b90j f Kennebec Hero 2100 

I Larabassett Kose -i_J -^ Necklace 6th 2105 



41752 



THE ROUND-UP 



1045 



FAIRFAX 16th 316931. 



Perfection 92891- 



f Dale 66481 ] Columbus 51875 

) .... I RQjjg Blosssom 39225 



Perfection 
Fairfax 179767 



Cherry Donald 
189271 



Repeater 289598. 



Hirris Princess 
31st 266i2J 



i Melley May 41752. 



Imp. Berna 



( Hoosier Tom 7732 
( Rosebud 6606 

Fairfax 84159 I ?,^j'f ''"'"L^t^''* 

' Decima 84153 



138482) Belle 138483 {h^eX^f^^^S 



( Beau Donald 58996. 

Beau Pnqs^ff^''^ ^^^) Sir Carroll's Earl 
lUJSb. '■Grove Maid 56110 



( Beau Brunimel 51817 
I Donna 33735 
f Sir Carroll 2d 40067 
1 Earl's Grove Maid 46193 
( Cherry Boy 26495 . . .* ^o^^^^r 12899 
Mary's Cherry ] r'''''"''^^'h ^oan-'<^*^ 

5''077 Ladv Mnrv 4th '?6q'?R ■' ^^^^ Monde 9903 
5-0(7 ( i^aay Mary 4tn Jbd3b ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ gd 24493 

REPEATER 7th 386905. 

(( ni>;tiirhpr iqiinsq fBeau Donald 3d 86140 

Distributor i L>isturber 139J8J ^ Columbia 76779 
'''''' ^ Elfin Lass 108907 { Se^n'd^li^i^n ^ 
(Missouri Chief 2d 104368 { Hf|-dnth^56467 



Mina 184985. 



^Evelyn 126208 1^X^88462 



Beau Donald] Beau Donald 



5th 86142 



Lottie Macon 
139290 



( Beau Brummel 51817 

( Donna 33735 

I Sonhi-i 56115 -^ Sir Carroll 2d 40067 

1. bopnia 5bii& I g^^j.g j^ju^j^ 2d 46194 

Sir Macon 6'lfi91 I Valentine 46544 

bir Macon bJb93 | Portrait 12245 

I Oueen Bess 9''820 * Norwood Chief 70814 

(. yueen Bess y-»zu ^ qj^^^ j^^j^ ^^^ gQ,^3 



BEAU PERFECTION 24th 394173. 

f Earl of Shadeland |^^j:fif,lVwfifnn iqni7 
Columbus ] 41st 33378 Prince Edward 7001 

51875 I Pet 36054 iLl^^^'^Ar^^^J.^ '°^^ 



Dale 66481 



( Peerless Wilton 
-' 12774 



Jessie 4th 10907 
f Garfield 7015 
( Peerless 10902 



Rose Bios- -, 1^1 It , .,,„,; nj.„o 

^ som 39225 ( Blossom 12866 { -^^"12867"' 

( Anxiety 2d 4580. 
C Hoosier Tom- 



I Melley May 
L 41752 



Beau Donald I 
44th 109865 



( Anxiety 2238 
, 1 Alice 4658 

( Isabel 4577 ( Corsair 4581 

Juliet 4578 

( Chieftain 2059 



f President 2058 1 f „„;,,;::"oncn 

Rosebud 6606-^ Carrabassett Rose b^°"°??„r"°" 



2120 



Beau Donald I Beau Brummel 



58996 






51817 



Belle Donald 
76th 187362 



Minnie H. 

61053 



Kennebec Hero 2100 
I Necklace 6th 2105 
f Don Carlos 33734 
) Belle 24629 

Donna 33735 f Anxiety 4th 9904 

I Dowafjer 6th 6932 
f Earl Shadeland 9th 16900 
( Elena 5th 27141 
( Earl 2d of Pine P'rk 41081 
1 Wilton's Gr've Maid 33276 
( Don Carlos 33734 
( Belle 24629 
1 n^n",!, t-i-ir, ' Anxiety 4th 9904 

I Donna 33,35 , Dowager 6th 6932 

( Sir Carroll 2d 40067 ■' ^arl Shadeland 9th 16900 
j birbairoll2d 40067 , Elena 5th 27141 

") Lily Princess of f Earl of Pine Park 41080 
^ Pine Park 4G199 I Lily Princess 26729 



Cinderella / Sir Carroll 2d 4006 
61048 J Wilton's Grove 
*- Maid 2d 51158 

Beau Donald f Beau Brummel 
58996 51817 



1046 



A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 



DISTURBER 139989. 

/D 13 , CI oi'T /Don Carlos 33734 

r Beau Donald f ^eau Brummel 51817 [ g^Hg 24629 

58a96| p,„„„,„„„qr; ( Anxiety 4th 9904 

Beau Donald ) '^ uonna A6,m | Dowager 6th 6932 

3d 86140 I ( a;,. r„,.^„ii oa Anne? ' Earl of Shadeland 9th 16900 

Cinderella wn, T' rVi,,! ' \ Elena 5th 27141 

61048 I Wilton s Grove | ^arl 2d of Pine Park 41081 

(. Maid 2d 51158 | Wilton's Grove Maid 33276 

f Earl of Shadeland I R^wltln Jw^iu^n iQni7 
c r'„i.,^v,..^KioT[; ' A 1 r.t oo'i-o ( Gertrude Wilton 19017 

Columbus51875- 4Ist 333,8 , p^-^^^ Edward 7001 

(,gj^^jji^ I (.Pet 36054 [Jessie 4th 10907 

^67-9 ] Rose Blossom ( Peerless Wilton 12774 { ^^^^f^^^ '^^^l^ 

39225 i ninconm 198<!R (Auctioneer 9572 

I (, Blossom 12886 -^ Bi^.^^jy 12867 

PERFECTION FAIRFAX 179767. 

f Earl of Shadeland 
( Columbus 51875....- 41st 33378 

( Dale 66481 - (Pet 36054 

'■ Roc;pRinq<;omqq99'i-! Peerless Wilton 12774 
Perfection 92891 . . . ] ^°^^ Blossom 39J25 -^ Blossom 12866 

1 . ( Hoosier Tom 7732. . { f,^£f fg^^^ ^580 

I Melley May 41752 - President 2058 

'■ I^°-bud 6606 { ^frlKeU Rose 2120 

( Salisbury 84174. . . . | f,',lte%6 S 
r Fairfax 84159 . . . . • Ho-^rth 20101 

ln,n Bern. , W80 ' ''''^^"' '"'' NeUie s'fe^S "' 

Imp. Berna 138482. , Rg^o^n i8902 

i Leander 83622 - Lady Horace Wilton 

l Belle 138483 J ( 83619 

llavpndprlll=i7iS J Painter Boy 83315 
>- Lavender 11 1575... I ^jp,^^ J lig^g 

About Beau Donald. — The history of cattle- 
breeding abounds in surprising developments in 
connection with the careers of various celebrities. A 
number of these tales have already been related, but 
none is of deeper interest than the story of old Beau 
Donald's early history and subsequent extraordinary 
success as a sire. Some details are therefore sub- 
mitted. 

Mr. Charles Gudgell says: 

"Beau Donald had no nurse cow nor special fit- 
ting as a calf, but was treated in exactly the same 
way as our other calves at the time. As a calf he 
was remarked for his generally sappy appearance 
and make-up, and was naturally thick-fleshed with- 



THE ''round-up'^ 1047 

out necessarily being fat. He was built close to the 
ground and had a hide on him as the saying is, 4ike 
a bull pup's'. At a little past a year old he gave 
promise of having a decidedly drooping horn, a 
characteristic which along with natural thick flesh he 
has transmitted to his descendants in a remarkable 
degree. 

''He came from one of our very best families. 
His sire and dam, grandsires and grandams were 
all extra good. Beau Brummel's record as a breeder 
is well known, but when it is noted that Donna 33735, 
the dam of Beau Donald, is out of Dowager 6th 
6932, a cow that was also the dam of Don Carlos and 
Don Quixote, it can readily be seen that he was no 
accident, but came by his good qualities honestly. 
Dowager 6tli was bred by Mr. T. Lewis, Woodhouse, 
the well known English breeder from whom we se- 
cured her, and was one of the best cows in all our 
importations. She was a very smooth, medium- 
sized cow and had a decided droop to her horns (a 
feature we desired to cultivate) and transmitted the 
same characteristic to all her produce. Donna 33735, 
mother of Beau Donald, also had a pronouncedly 
drooping horn. She was a straight-lined, low-down 
cow of the breedy type and above the average size 
and weight. She died at the age of seventeen years. ' '* 

There was nothing special to be observed in the 
make-up of the calf in his earlier days at the side of 
his dam, but as he came along into bullhood he was 
picked up by H. B. Watts, a man who had ever a 



♦The somewhat unsatisfactory portrait of Mr. W. H. Curtice 
appearing in this vohime shows him mounted on his favorite 
saddle horse, Champagrne, so called because of his peculiar color. 
Like all Kentuckians, Mr. Curtice has a fondness for a good saddle 
horse, and in speaking of Champagne he states that he can go 
a running walk at a 9-mile-an-hour gait "without shaking the 
rider in the least." Moreover, this horse is a successful weight- 
carrier, having won several prizes over large fields in the blue- 
grass shows with Mr. Curtice up. 




W. n. rURTICE AND ins FAVORITE IMnr'XT— rTIA:\II'Ar,XE. 




BEAU DONALD— FROM THE DRAWING BY CE3CIL PALMER. 



THE "round-up" iU49 

keen mind and eye. While it was therefore not mere 
chance that guided him in this selection, it is doubt- 
ful if his vision was prophetic enough accurately to 
forecast the youngster's brilliant future. Certainly 
Gudgell & Simpson would not have let him go had 
they been able to read the stars aright. They knew 
he was one of the best yearlings they had ever bred 
and really intended to reserve him for their own 
use, but the trade was then passing through a period 
of acute depression. Judge Watts apparently 
caught Gov. Simpson napping one day and bought 
the youngster for $125! Watts' own story of Beau 
Donald's "discovery" and purchase as told to the 
writer is substantially as follows: 

"Some time in April, 1914, I went to Independ- 
ence and told Gov. Simpson I had come to select a 
yearling bull to head my herd, and asked him what 
he had on hand. He replied, ' Fifty-six as good year- 
ling Hereford bulls as anybody in America, but they 
are so d — m cheap and low that I propose to make 
steers of them rather than sell at prevailing prices.' 
We then got in his old spring wagon and drove out 
to the farm. Going into the pasture where the bulls 
were grazing, he said, 'Now, Watts, there's the lot. 
Pick your bull, and I '11 see if you know a good one. ' 

"The Governor had certainly stated facts when he 
said they were a good lot of yearlings; indeed, they 
were exceptionally good. After looking over the 
lot for fully an hour I finally selected two bulls, and 
asked the Governor to show me their dams and give 
me the sires of the two before I would determine 
which calf I would take. We drove over into another 
pasture where the cows were quartered. He drove 
close to a massive cow and said ; ' This is Donna, the 



1050 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

dam of the smaller bull of the two you picked. She 
is by Anxiety 4th and out of Dowager 6th, which 
makes her a full sister to Don Carlos. ' I said, ' Gov- 
ernor, we won't look for the larger bull's dam; I 
want the small calf. What is your price on her?' 
He replied: 'Watts, confound your little picture! 
You've picked the best bull in the bunch, a bull that 
I thought of keeping to breed from ourselves. How- 
ever, I like you and you can take the calf at $125. 
I told him I thought the figure a little high, as low 
as cattle were selling at that time, that I had thought 
when I left Fayette'that $100 would buy the top. He 
said: 'I can't take it, that is one of the best calves 
I ever bred. I will take $100 for the other calf you 
picked.' 'No,' I said, * I want this calf.' He replied, 
'Well, if you promise not to tell what you gave for 
him you can take him, and if he don't make one of 
the most impressive sires in the country, send him 
back, get your money, and Simpson will say he has 
no cattle sense. ' 

"Beau Donald was shipped to Fayette the follow- 
ing week, and it was then that I first learned his 
name, as I had neglected to ask it of Gov. Simpson. 
A week or so after getting him rested I led him to 
the courthouse yard in Fayette so that my cattle 
friends could see him. All thought him a wonder. 
From the time I bought him until sold to Mr. Curtice 
I never saw or knew him to attempt a vicious act. 

"Beau Donald was intensely bred in the re- 
nowned Anxiety 4th blood, and came naturally to 
transmit so unerringly to his offspring his marvel- 
ously straight lines, strong front and superb quar- 
ters, together with all his elegant style, finish and 
symmetry. As a yearling he was bred to eight or 
ten cows, getting all with calf. He was kept in good 
thrifty- growing condition until two years old, and 



THE '' round-up'' 1051 

then my son Will (now my partner) concluded to 
develop him. He fed well from the start, and in 
October, 1895, at thirty-one months old, he weighed 
2,200 pounds. In fact, at that time and for two 
years afterwards he was a great show bull. On 
Aug. 12, 1897, I received a wire from Secretary 
Thomas at Kansas City, asking me what amount 
would buy Beau Donald. Not caring to sell him at 
any price, I concluded to put the price so high no 
one would think of paying it, cattle at that time 
being extremely low. 1 priced him at $1,000. 

''The next day Mr. Curtice came to my farm, and 
told me he had asked Mr. Thomas to see the bull. 
My son brought him to the lawn, and I don't think 
the old fellow ever did or ever could make the show 
he did that afternoon. Curtice looked him over 
and said, ' Turn him out, I never saw a bull I 'd pay 
$1,000 for.' I replied, 'Very well, I'm glad to hear 
you say that; and rather than sell you Beau I'll give 
you a check for $100 to release me from my proposi- 
tion.' He had me take him to the train and just as 
the whistle sounded for the station Curtice said, 
'Put Beau in the barn for a few days, and then ship 
him to my address in time for him to reach the fair 
at Shelbyville on Aug. 24.' 

' ' I thought so much of Beau Donald that for fear 
he would get hurt in transit I got in the car and 
rode through to Kentucky with him, feeding, water- 
ing and keeping the bedding under him. As I fre- 
quently said to Mr. Curtice, 'I am the architect of 
your fortune. ' ' ' 

This interesting narration may be supplemented 

by a brief statement from Hendry, Mr. Curtice's 

former manager, who says: 

' ' When a calf Beau Donald was recognized by Mr. 
Simpson and herdsman George Shand as a good 



1052 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

mellow-hided, sliort-legged calf. Sliand, my old 
Scotch friend, when showing him to any one, always 
caught hold of his hide to reveal the looseness of 
it. I can remember seeing him first on a visit to 
Independence from the Greenwood Farm in the fall 
of 1893, when he was still nursing his dam. He 
was weaned when about seven months old. The 
following summer he was with a bunch of bulls 
Mr. Simpson used his knife upon, passing by Beau 
Donald. 

"The bull landed at Shelbyville the week of the 
fair there. Mr. Curtice started to take him home, 
but being advised by some of his friends to show 
him had his old darkie, Joe, take him to the fair 
grounds, where he received the blue ribbon next 
day and sweepstakes over all breeds, although some 
of the Shorthorn men told Mr. Curtice he was no 
breeding bull, but simply a mess of beef. These 
same Shorthorn men say today, however, that he 
was one of the greatest breeding bulls that ever 
came into Kentucky. The following year Mr. Curtice 
showed him at Lexington, Ky., Shelbyville, Ky., Co- 
lumbus, ()., and Wheeling, W. Va., winning first 
place with him at the places named. In 1899 he 
sliowed him on the same circuit with about the 
same results. He then took him the same fall to the 
Kansas City show and sale with a bunch of his 
calves, which averaged $629 a head, and the follow- 
ing year did about the same, always bringing in a 
ribbon from the big shows with the old bull. After 
that Mr. Curtice decided to keep him at home and 
show his get. 

"Beau Donald was never used very hard, having 
about forty cows a season. He always ran in the 
pasture with the younger bulls of which he was 
king. This reminds me of an anecdote of the old 
bull. On bringing him home his son, Prince Rupert 



THE ''round-up" 1053 

79589, from the show circuit we turned him into the 
pasture with his sire from whom he had been sepa- 
rated for three months. I accompanied them to the 
pasture, being a little • afraid that the young bull 
would be too much for his dad ; but to my surprise it 
went the other way. The old bull rolled the Prince 
over, and held him to the ground, I scarcely being 
able to pull him off by the ring, and from that day 
Prince Kupert never ventured within twenty-five 
yards of him. 

"Beau Donald's disposition was good. Any child 
could handle him by the ring. He was alw^ays ready 
for the feed bucket, which is also a trait of his de- 
scendants. ' ' 

A Story of Perfection Fairfax. — Mr. A. C. Huxley 
bought the imported cow Berna in calf to Perfec- 
tion at the Hoxie sale at Thornton, 111., May 14, 
1903, for $365. She was due to calve in October 
and as the cow was a good individual and a heavy 
milker and as Perfection had been many times 
champion Mr. Huxley had a right to expect some- 
thing particularly choice. The calf arrived on the 
first of October, and was about as disappointing 
a prospect as could be imagined. In the first place, 
he was small and so crooked that herdsman Willard 
Pierce used to put one hand on one of the calf's 
knees, take hold of the foot and push on the knee 
and pull on the foot until the tendons fairly cracked, 
all in an effort to straighten the legs of the future 
champion. This was done twice a day for two 
weeks, and in the course of about six weeks his 
legs were about normal. 

This, however, was not the only difficulty with 




PERFECTION AND BEAD DONALD 86tb 



THE ''round-up" 1055 

tlie youngster. He was a disgusting liglit yellow- 
red in color. Now this pale red lias from time 
almost immemorial been tabooed by Hereford 
breeders. While Pierce was still operating on the 
legs of the "future great" Mr. Huxley had a visit 
from Mr. E. W. Furbush, a piano manufacturer of 
Boston, Mass., who had a farm at Freedom, N. H. 
He Avas a reader of '"'The Breeder's Gazette" and 
became an admirer of good Herefords. He arranged 
a visit to Mr. Huxley's farm, desiring to secure a 
cow with a bull calf at foot. The proprietor offered 
to trade imp. Berna and calf for a $500 piano, but 
the visitor replied that he "would not have a cow 
on his farm that would not produce a better calf 
than that." Mr. Furbush was not alone in having 
a poor opinion of the calf at this time. 

Huxley was expecting to show a full herd at the 
fairs of 1904 and had two other bull calves that 
were receiving extra attention with a view toward 
exhibition. Meantime Perfection Fairfax was run- 
ning around with the other calves on the place 
quite neglected. As time passed, however, Huxley 
and Pierce engaged in arguments as to which of 
the two bull calves in preparation was the better, 
and finally Pierce remarked, "If you will get 
another nurse cow, I'll just take the yellow calf 
and beat all the others." The nurse was finally 
procured and under the stimulus of this additional 
milk the young bull began spreading out into fine 
form. Best of all, in the spring as he was shedding 
his coat, lo and behold, he was a fine rich red! 



1056 A HISTORY OF PIEREFORD CATTLE 

This was of course a very welcome surprise to the 
owner. From that time there was never much ques- 
tion as to his destiny. 

At the fall fairs of 1904, Perfection Fairfax was 
probably the heaviest calf in his class. At the In- 
ternational his official weight was 1,220 pounds. 
This is certainly remarkable in view of the late 
start he had. At the Kansas City Royal of 1905, 
just as Mr. Huxley was leading Perfection Fair- 
fax out of the ring with the purple badge that meant 
the junior championship of the show, friend Fur- 
bush came up and congratulated him upon the win- 
ning, and his surprise can be better imagined than 
described when told that this was the calf that he 
had said was too mean to have around his New 
England farm. Mr. Huxley was offered $2,000 for 
Perfection Fairfax as a calf and $3,000 as a year- 
ling; he declined both propositions. Out of a pos- 
sible thirty-one first prizes shown for as a calf, year- 
ling and aged bull he won thirty firsts and one 
second. As a two-year-old he was not shown. Mr. 
"Huxley having disposed of Beau Donald 33d, his 
chief stock bull at that time, could not spare Per- 
fection Fairfax from the breeding herd. Beau 
Donald 33d, it will be remembered, was also a most 
successful stock bull, the progenitor of the Lady 
Fairfax line, two members of which. Lady Fairfax 
4th and Lady Fairfax 9th, made enviable records. 

The later career of Perfection Fairfax is too 
familiar to call for extended comment in this con- 
nection. Messrs. Harris, Curtice and McCray were 



THE 'Ground-up'' 1057 

all interested in trying to secure him after Mr. 
Huxley decided to close out his herd, but McCray 
was the successful bidder. Mr. Huxley closed out 
his cattle, not because of any lack of interest in 
them, but in order to fulfill obligations elsewhere 
and in another field which he could not justlj'^ ignore. 
He is now located in Minnesota and has recently 
informed the writer that he expects to re-enter the 
business in the near future. Meantime, comment- 
ing upon the record of Perfection Fairfax, Mr. 
Huxley says: 

"Several of the old breeders used to tell me that 
Perfection Fairfax was not the type to prove a 
great sire, a fact which goes to show how risky is 
the occupation of the prophet in such matters. I 
think the first calf that he sired was Diana Fairfax, 
which Mr. McCray showed, and she proved a win- 
ner. I do not believe there has been a bull of the 
breed that has been a winner himself and after- 
wards sired so many good bulls and heifers as has 
Perfection Fairfax. I claim that the reason why he 
is entitled to be called the greatest bull of the breed, 
living or dead, is because he sired both good bulls 
and good heifers all of his own stamp, so that 
almost any one can distinguish them from the get 
of other sires. I regard it as particularly fortunate 
for the breed that he fell into the hands of Mr. 
McCray, because in that herd he has been given 
opportunitj^ to be mated with a grand lot of cows. 
I look back with pride on Perfection Fairfax, and 
have vivid recollections of the various hard-fought 
battles we had before reaching the top. ' ' 

His Trainer Testifies. — Willard Pierce takes a keen 
enjoyment in the progress of the Perfection Fairfax 



1058 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

stock. Here is his own account of the old bull's 
early career: 

"Mr. A. C. Huxley bought at the Hoxie spring 
sale of 1903 three cows — imp. Berna, Dauntless and 
Miss Peerless. All were bred to Perfection. Daunt- 
less and Peerless dropped heifer calves. Berna 
dropped a bull calf in October, 1903, which was 
named Perfection Fairfax. He did not look like 
much of a calf, as he was rather slim and thin. But 
in February he seemed to be developing into some- 
thing better than we had expected, so we decided to 
put him on a nurse cow. He kept on doing well. 
His stablemate. Beau Dale 2d by Beau Donald 33d, 
was much the better calf to start with. But time 
went on and by May there was not much difference 
in them. By fall Perfection Fairfax had the best 
of him. We always raised a small patch of beets. 
Of these Perfection Fairfax was very fond, and I 
gave him plenty of them at all times. When he was 
shown at Chicago as a calf he was weaned. Not 
many of the show calves are weaned at that time. 

"The first show we made was at Columbus, 0., 
where he stood first and was junior champion. He 
stood that way all around the eastern circuit until 
Chicago, where he was second. 

' ' The bull wintered well as a yearling, and I could 
fairly see him grow and widen out. He never had 
a sick day during the four years I fed him. His 
constitution was w^onderful, and I believe that has 
much to do with making his offspring all good feed- 
ers and good show cattle. I believe constitution is 
the greatest thing to consider when we come to feed 
cattle for the showering. One thing more about Per- 
fection Fairfax was that he was very quiet — what 
I would call a lazy bull. He would never fret about 
anything. 



THE ROUND-UP 



1059 



* ' When lie was a yearling we went to some county 
fairs where lie was champion, and then to Colum- 
bus, where he was first and junior champion. As a 
two-year-old Perfection Fairfax was not shown. We 
used him as our herd bull, but never let him down 
from show shape. As a three-year-old we showed 
him and came near cleaning up the most of the 
boys. They realized he was 'some show bull' at 
three years old, and by that time we knew he was 
'some breeder'! But there is one thing very funny 
to me about Perfection Fairfax, and to think of it 




TV^ CondelJ^ IViUard Pterce ^ndre^f^Neikte^ 



often makes me smile. When Mr. Huxley and I 
showed him lots of the breeders would grant that 
he was a good show bull, but usually added that he 
would be no breeder. I meet these same breeders 
around the fairs now, and I often say in a joking 
way: 'Perfection Fairfax is a good show bull, but 
he'll make no breeder.' I usually spring this when 
I see his get head towards their stalls with blue rib- 
bons tied to them, and sometimes the red, at our 
very biggest fairs. 
"When Perfection Fairfax was a four-year-old 



1060 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

we never intended to show him. But then Mr. Mc- 
Cray bought out Mr. Huxley, and decided to show 
him instead of Prime Lad 16th, though he was never 
fed to be shown that fall. It is surprising to see him 
so fresh at eleven years old. And I doubt very much 
if any of the bulls which showed with him nine or 
ten years ago can come up and beat him now in the 
showring. I do know that they have a hard time to 
beat his get, although it was this same Perfection 
Fairfax which was 'a show bull, but would never 
make much of a breeder.' " 

The Dam of Dale. — Too late for incorporation in 
our text at the proper point we received the follow- 
ing interesting recital from Clem Graves, the breed- 
er of Dale, as to the mother of that famous bull: 

"In appearance Pose Blossom was like the Gar- 
fields. Her color a rich red, neither light nor dark, 
her form thick-fleshed, evenly balanced and set on 
short legs, her face broad, with full eyes and the 
short 'Berkshire' nose, the identifying feature of 
the Garfields. She was sold to Mr. Harness, Gal- 
veston, Ind., when a yearling and her calves, Little 
Phil and Hopeful, were dropped at his farm. I pur- 
chased her in the spring of 1892, paying $75 for her. 
This was a time when the breeders were overstocked 
on account of the depression in the cattle trade in 
1891 and 1892, when I saw a 1,200-pound grade 
Shorthorn cow sell for $14 and good yearlings sell 
for $8 a head. 

''I showed Rose Blossom in 1896 at Toledo, and 
the leading county fairs in Ohio and Indiana. At 
that time many of the fairs did not classify the beef 
breeds. Shorthorns, Angus and Herefords all show- 
ing together. She was defeated but one time and 
then by a Hereford cow of great scale and even 
finish. Vivien, the first calf Rose Blossom brought 



THE ''round-up" 1061 

me, I sold when six years old for $500. This cow 
was the mother of two heifers. One was Armel, 
bought by A. P. Nave for $220 in my first public 
sale at the Palmer House Stables at Chicago in 1897. 
He sold her a short time afterward to K. B. Armour 
for $1,000 and she was one of the attractive mem- 
bers of that celebrated herd. The other heifer, Viola 
by Columbus, I listed in the sale at the Kansas City 
Royal in 1899, where she was purchased by Col. 
Slaughter and Thomas Mortimer for $1,250, selling 
next to Armour Rose, which brought the highest 
price in that very spirited sale. 

' ' You will note from the full list of the progeny of 
this famous cow, herewith appended, that three years 
elapse between the birth of Vivien and Dale. This 
is a long period for a young cow to pass not breed- 
ing and I was almost at the point of disposing of 
her, all in ignorance that the story of Dale, Perfec- 
tion, Perfection Fairfax, on down to Joan Fairfax, 
was already written 'among the things that are and 
the things that shall be hereafter.' 

"The story of Dale is now a matter of common 
knowledge. There are two points in his showyard 
career that I wish to emphasize: in 1897 he was the 
first Hereford to win the grand championship, all 
breeds competing, at the Ohio and Indiana state 
fairs; and after five years of showing when he was 
matched against Perfection, Christopher, Dandy Rex 
and many other famous bulls he won the purple rib- 
bon in his final appearance in the showring at the 
International in 1901. Dale rests in the burying 
ground of the little Christian church on Jesse Adams ' 
farm, his grave cared for by Amy Adams. 

"Mr. Adams purchased Columbia from me for 
$1,100 and Columbia 2d for $1,325 in a breeders' sale 
in Kansas City in January, 1901. He bred Columbia 



1062 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

to Beau Donald 3d, bringing Disturber. This was 
the initial trial of the Columbus-Beau Donald cross. 
This same line of breeding is now in practice in the 
herd of Mr. Curtice of Kentucky. I sold Rose Blos- 
som in 1902 for $500, to the Wabash Cattle Co. Her 
record follows: 

"1890— April 21— bull— Little Phil 41937 by Earl of Shadeland 41st 

33398. 
"1891 — April 18 — cow — Hopeful 46919 by Earl Wilton 47th 46333. 
"1892 — Aug. 26 — cow — Vivien 51183 by Earl of Shadeland 33398. 

This heifer became the dam of Armel and Viola, sold to 

G. McWilliams in 1S98 for $500. 
"1895 — Sept. 15 — bull— Dale 66481 by Columbus 51875. Sold to F. 

A. Nave, Nov. 5, 1897, for $1,100. Bought in Mr. Nave's 

dispersion for $7,500. Sold in 1901 to Wabash Cattle Co. 

for $8,000. 
"1896 — Sept. 18— bull — Earl Wilton 69585 'by Columbus 51875. Sold 

to A Wolcott, Concord, Mich., in 1896. No record of price, 

I think $200. 
"1897 — Oct. 4 — cow — Columbia 76779 by Columbus 51875. Sold to 

J. C. Adams, 1901, for $1,000. The dam of Disturber. 
"1898 — Aug. 16 — cow— Columbia 2d 86594 by Columbus 51875. Sold 

to J. C. Adams, 1901, for $1,325. 
"1899 — Aug. 21 — cow — Rosamond 100492 bv Cherry Ben 56767. Sold 

to Wabash Cattle Co., 1902, for $300. 
"1900 — Dec. 25 — bull — Dara 117715 bv imp. Freedom 76005. Sold 

to Wabash Cattle Co. for $135. 
"1901 — Nov. 13 — cow — Rose Blossom's Princess 135358 by Le Roy 

70778. Owned by S. H. Godman." 

Harking Back to the Range. — As this chapter is 
called a "Round-Up" we feel warranted in intro- 
ducing at this point certain facts concerning the 
operations of another one of the ranking western 
outfits of the days when the range cattle business 
was getting squarely upon its feet. We refer to 
the famous old-time firm of Lee & Reynolds. 
Their operations were not only extensive, but they 
always advocated the use of well bred bulls. The 
author had prepared the following statement as 
to their work for inclusion in a preceding chapter, 
but the copy was inadvertently mislaid until it was 
too late to incorporate it, in this edition, in its 
proper place. It is deemed of sufficient historical 




Copyright photo by Parsons 
THREE-YEAR-OLD HEIFER MAY MORN, A ROYAL WINNER IN 1913. 




MOTHER AND SON. 



Copyright photo by Panons 



1064 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 

importance, however, to be given space at this point, 
rather than be omitted entirely. 

This firm started business at Camp Supply in 
the Indian Territory in the fall of 1869 as post 
traders at that military camp. Their consignment 
of six or seven cars of merchandise from New York 
was the first through freight which crossed the 
bridge at Kansas City, shipment having been timed 
to reach there just at the opening of the bridge, and 
was sent through from New York to Hayes City 
without breaking bulk.* The firm continued busi- 
ness at Camp Supply and at other points estab- 
lished and owned by them in the Territory, and at 
Fort Elliott in the Panhandle of Texas — there being- 
four or five of these stations — until the year 1881, 
when the co-partnership was dissolved and the prop- 
erty divided. During this time in the Territory 
there were two Indian wars, one being the final 
round-up of the Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Kiowas and 
Comanches, upon their reservations at El Reno and 
Fort Sill, where the red men and their descendants 
have ever since remained peaceably occupied and 
intent upon the struggle for existence. 

Lee & Reynolds commenced establishing a herd 
of cattle about the year 1876, placing in service 
purebred Shorthorn bulls purchased of Frederick 
William Stone of Guelph, Ontario. This first herd 

*Mr. A. E. Reynolds, following- up this shipment, in company 
with one man similarly mounted, rode a mule from Hayes City to 
Camp Supply, ISO miles, sleeping on the ground en route, with the 
saddle for a pillow and the blankets used under the saddle as 
his bedding; and as there had been a blizzard across the country 
at that time, he has a very vivid recollection that it was rather a 
painful cold journey, and somewhat limited as to commissary. 



THE ''round-up'' 1065 

was sold in 1880 to Mr. Bud Driskell, and about 
that time Mr. Lee purchased for the firm a tract 
of land on the Canadian River at or near the New 
Mexico line from Messrs. Gunter & Munson, and 
contracted for a herd of cattle from Reynolds & 
Mathews of Albany, Tex. These cattle were the 
beginning and basis of the herd carrying the LE 
brand which afterwards became well known. In the 
dissolution of the firm and division of the property, 
this herd and the lands were taken by Mr. Reynolds, 
and the Reynolds Land & Cattle Co., was formed to 
operate at that point in the Panhandle. Other lands 
were accumulated to a total of over 250,000 
acres; the herd was enlarged to the capacity of 
the ranch, or about 12,000 head, and was bred up 
by the use of purebred bulls exclusively, and by 
care and attention the quality of the herd was im- 
proved until it was probably excelled by none. The 
first bulls used were purebred Shorthorns, mostly 
from Mr. Stone's herd, and these were followed by 
purebred Herefords from the same source. Others 
were obtained from Messrs. Gudgell & Simpson, 
and firms of like prominence. 

This company operated until 1902, when the lands 
were sold through their manager to the Prairie Cat- 
tle Company of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the cattle 
to Mr. J. J. Hagerman, and moved to a point near 
Roswell, N. M. All of the cattle were so disposed 
of, excepting a few hundred purebred Herefords 
which were brought to some lands owned by Mr. 
Reynolds near La Junta, Colo. This herd was run 



1066 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

there a few years, when the better portion of it 
was sent to the mountains near Delta, Colo., where 
they are now a part of the herd of the E. J. M. 
Cattle Company at that place, in which Mr. 
Reynolds is still interested. 

During the operations in the Panhandle of Texas 
the firm bought at one shipment fifty registered 
bulls from the principal Hereford herds of Eng- 
land. These were turned upon -the range. In reply 
to an inquiry from the author as to the results of 
the use of the Shorthorn and Hereford bulls upon 
the LE herd, Mr. Eeynolds says : 

"The cattle bearing the LE brand in the Pan- 
handle were originally Texas cows from the vicinity 
of Albany, Tex. The first cross on these cows 
was made with Shorthorn bulls. We used these 
bulls about two or three years in the herd l3efore 
they were displaced to any great extent with 
Herefords, so that we might say the basis 
of the herd was a cross of Shorthorn blood on the 
Texas cattle, followed by the Herefords on these 
cows. There can be no question but what we got 
good results from this method. 

''I noticed evidence in the herd for many years 
of the original use of the Shorthorn bulls, even 
after we had been using exclusively Herefords in 
the herd. I think the chief evidence of the breed- 
ing back to the Shorthorn blood, was shown in the 
diminished size of the horns of our white-faced! 
cattle, occasional Shorthorn markings on the 
bodies, such as roans, and occasionally a red spot 
on the face or nose, which clearly showed the Short- 
horn strain. We changed to the Herefords on the 
theory that they were the more hardy animals for 



THE "round-up" 1067 

range use, as well as being in themselves as good 
if not better than the Shorthorns. I certainly 
should at this time prefer to take my chances with 
the Herefords if I were going into the cattle-raising 
business, chiefly on account of the probability of 
their greater endurance." 

Westward Ho! — With the passing of the open 
range the establishment of real ''quality" herds in 
the newer west bids fair to result in a material ex- 
tension of the field of pedigree Hereford breeding 
in the United States. The character of the herds 
that have been founded in recent years in the Eocky 
Mountain region, as illustrated by the exhibits at 
the Denver show, indicate clearly. that the produc- 
tion of top cattle of this favorite western type is 
likely to become a large and important industry in 
connection with the further evolution of the cattle 
trade of the mountain and inter-mountain states. 

Typical of this new condition is the case presented 
by the persistent purchase of cattle of the highest 
class by Mr. A. B. Cook. He is engaged in concrete 
construction work in a large way in Canada and 
our own Northwest, but has lived in Montana since 
the early '80 's and knowing what has been accom- 
plished in the past by the Herefords on the open 
ranges of that region, he finally decided to assem- 
ble a herd of the best registered "white faces" ob- 
tainable, in order to see what Montana climate, Mon- 
tana bluegrass and alfalfa hay, Montana oats and 
barley and Montana sugar beets, coupled with proper 
care and attention, would do for the highest type of 
modern American-bred Hereford. His great enter- 



1068 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

prise in securing valuable material for this purpose 
is deserving of all praise, and at our request he 
furnishes the following statement as to his opera- 
tions : 

''Look back a few years and remember the range 
cattle shipped from Montana — cattle three to four 
years old that had never even tasted hay until they 
were en route to the eastern market. Could you 
beat them any place on earth, raised under similar 
conditions? 

"My first effort in connection with the establish- 
ment of a registered herd was to buy the best 
foundation stock procurable. I visited most of the 
dispersion sales for several years, buying only cows 
that were outstanding, and all as near one type as 
possible. First I would select from pedigrees, going 
through the catalogs thoroughly and selecting only 
cows whose breeding suited me. I then passed on 
them as individuals. If the cow came up to my 
standard I invariably bought her in the ring, if not, 
no matter how cheap she went, I would not buy. 
It was quality I had to have. Often I would only 
find one cow that suited me at a sale, other times 
two or three, and sometimes a carload. I had my 
standard and the cows I bought must come up to it. 

"My greatest problem was the selection of herd 
bulls. I was fortunate in my first selection — Beau 
Carlos 248915, one of the greatest of the breed, sire 
of the grand champion Joy and other winners. Up 
to this time I have never sold but one of his heifers 
and I have since tried to re-purchase her. The se- 
lection of the balance of my herd bulls caused me 
considerable trouble. I traveled thousands of miles, 
inspecting many animals. The right breeding I 
wanted first, then conformation and type. This com- 
bination was hard to find, but I finally succeeded, 



THE ''round-up" 1069 

far beyond my expectations, in securing Fairfax 
16tli 316931, undefeated grand champion bull of 
America during 1912, Beau Perfection 9tli 368012, 
Beau Perfection 23d 394172, Premier 2d 311882, 
and Standard llth 411222. 

''"We try to keep our breeding cows in good thriv- 
ing condition, breeding them to the bull with which 
we think they will nick best. We are not always 
successful in this, but the percentage is good and 
we keep trying until we do hit it. We try to keep 
our calves growing. The calf, once stunted, never 
regains what it has lost and never makes as good 
an animal as if it had been kept growing and de- 
veloping steadily. 

''No enterprise that I have ever been connected 
with has given me greater pleasure than the raising 
of purebred cattle. When it comes to real enjoy- 
ment here is where I get mine. ' ' 

A Word About Herdsmen. — The author cannot 
bring this volume to a close without a word on the 
subject of the men who have the actual care of herds. 
Upon them rests to a marked degree the responsibil- 
ity for success or failure. We have taken pleasure 
all the way through this narration in referring from 
time to time to various individuals who have con- 
tributed largely toward the accomplishments of the 
cattle of their employers. Unfortunately in a vol- 
ume such as this it is quite as impracticable to men- 
tion by name all those in this profession who are 
really entitled to this recognition as it has been to 
make a record of the operations of all owners and 
breeders of good "white faces." 

A number of portraits of some of the better known 



1070 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

herdsmen are presented. Others would have been 
shown had the author succeeded in obtaining the 
necessary photographs. In several notable instances 
most capable men have shrunk from this publicity, 
even though it was unsought on their part. It will 
of course be understood that the portraits shown 
have been made from photographs supplied at the 
special request of the author. A long period of ob- 
servation of the work of men of this type on both 
sides the water has convinced us of the justice of 
generous recognition of their efforts. While as a 
rule they receive full consideration at the hands 
of their employers and of cattle breeders in gen- 
eral, the author has such a keen appreciation of 
the importance of the part they play in the work 
that he believes frequent note should be made of 
their valuable services.* 

An Involuntary Tribute. — One more little story 
and we close. As is commonly known, most of the 

*We are reminded at this point that we have not yet sup- 
plied certain details concerning the ■work of George Mason, an- 
other of the "old guard" of good herdsmen. He was born in 
Aberdeen, Scotland, Sept. 2, 1852, worked with Angus herds in 
Scotland for about ten years and came to America in 1882, bring- 
ing over an importation of Angus cattle for Geary Bros, in Can- 
ada. He spent three years with the herd of Mossom Bovd and 
came to the United States in 1889 to the Hereford herd of C. H. 
Elmendorf, Kearney, Neb., where he remained six years. 

At the Chicago World's Fair the show herd in George's charge 
included Earl of Shadeland 30th, Lily, Lady Daylight and Lady 
Laurel. In the fall of 1895 he went to the herd of W. S. Van- 
Natta and in the fall of 1897 to C. S. Cross, Emporia, Kans., thence 
to John Hooker, New London, O., for about eighteen months. 
After that he spent several years with Angus and Shorthorn herds 
and later a year with the Hereford herd of John E. Painter, Rog- 
gen, Colo. He now has charge of the Herefords on Highland 
Ranch, owned by K. H. Zwick, near Pyramid, Colo. 

Fred Corkins, who tended Dale and other celebrities for Jesse 
Adams, ought not to be forgotten, and among contemporary 
workers we should not omit to mention William Burlton, now 
with Mr. Tow; "Andy" Meikle, who went from Cudahy to Harris, 
and "Bob" Johnson, who has made up many Hereford as well as 
black polled champions. 



THE ''round-up'' 1071 

cattle buyers for the packing houses at the stock 
yards have a special fancy for Aberdeen-Angus 
bullocks. While good bidders for prime Herefords, 
they sometimes like to find a little fault. In this 
connection the following incident is of interest as 
illustrating this inclination on the part of some of 
those who ride the alleys at the yards in quest of 
good steers. It happened at the International some 
years ago at the time "Dan" Black exhibited his 
best load of JJ cattle. The Krambeck blacks had 
been given the grand championship over them, 
which Hereford men generally characterized as a 
mistake, pointing out that Irwin Bros, bought Mr. 
Black's Herefords but only took the ribs and loins 
of the Angus. The latter were killed at Swift's 
and the former at Armour's. "Billy" Kay, a son 
of old Scotia, was at that time with Swift's; in fact, 
he had been with the company some twenty years. 
He fell into a warm dispute with John Gosling as 
to the relative merits of the breeds and being some- 
what "put to it" for a rejoinder to some of the 
Hereford arguments advanced, finally blurted out: 

"All yer Herefords are guid for is to mak' money 
for the farr-mers" — with a fine Scotch burr on the 
latter word. Some time afterwards "Billy", who 
owned land in Oklahoma, decided to buy some Here- 
ford bulls for his own use. 

As to Fashions. — Fortunately there is little oc- 
casion for warning the friends of the Hereford 
against the pitfalls of fads and fashions in dealing 
with the pedigrees of their breeding animals. In 



1072 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the first place tliey have always utilized the tabu- 
lated pedigree — a form of presenting bloodlines 
that sets forth the facts in their proper relation. 
Their colleagues in the Shorthorn and Aberdeen- 
Angus world have not always been so wise. By 
the method of pedigree-printing long in vogue 
among the latter one of the maternal lines was 
paraded in such way as to build up a more or less 
mythical basis of family or tribal prestige which, 
however convenient it may have been, was wholly 
misleading and tended to exaggerate out of all rea- 
son the importance of a certain fractional part of 
the real pedigree. Some remote female ancestress 
gave name, and in many cases supplied almost the 
sole measure of value to great groups of cattle, to 
the exclusion of the immediate ancestors on both 
sides of the house. 

In so far as they use "family" nomenclature at 
all, Hereford breeders commonly group their breed- 
ing animals under heads that convey a definite 
meaning. They have their Wiltons, Anxieties, Grove 
3ds, Garfields, Beau Donalds, Perfection Fairfaxes, 
Disturbers, Repeaters, etc., thus laying stress 
where it of right belongs, on the great producing 
bulls ; and as a rule they have followed a great bull's 
blood only so far as it appeared to make good in his 
descendants. 

The record price for a Hereford bull has already 
been noted. The American top for a Shorthorn 
bull was higher— $17,900 for the 14th Duke of 
Thornedale — but in his case the bidding was influ- 



THE '' round-up'' 1075 

Modern English Herefords. — It will be noted that 
our detailed narration of the Herefordshire side of 
this story ended with the g-eneral suspension of im- 
portations about 1890. Writing as we are for Amer- 
ican readers and limited as we must be in the matter 
of space, it has been found quite impracticable to 
refer specially to what has been doing in more recent 
years in the old home of the breed. The truth is 
that our own breeders have felt for a long time 
past that they had actually passed their colleagues 
across the sea in the matter of the elevation of the 
Hereford standard of merit. 

And yet the old blood is still doing its wondrous 
work over there in the beautiful Severn vale. 
Handed down from father to son, as in the days 
of old, prized and preserved as the proudest pos- 
session a Herefordshire farmer can boast, undis- 
turbed by the ceaseless rise and fall of prices, un- 
moved by any extraneous influence whatsoever, the 
descendants of the Hereford fathers, staunch de- 
fenders of their heritage, are still producing cattle 
the equal of any that have hitherto been seen in 
their native pastures or in the great forum of the 
Royal showyard. This is clearly indicated by the 
illustrations of recent prize-winners reproduced 
in these pages. 

And in acknowledging our debt to these steadfast 
men of Hereford, notwithstanding the claim that 
we have evolved here a more uniform type of cat- 
tle, let us not be hasty in declaring our inde- 
pendence. Great as have been our results in the 



1072 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

the first place tliey have always utilized the tabu- 
lated pedigree — a form of presenting bloodlines 
that sets forth the facts in their proper relation. 
Their colleagues in the Shorthorn and Aberdeen- 
Angus world have not always been so wise. By 
the method of pedigree-printing long in vogue 
among the latter one of the maternal lines was 
paraded in such way as to build up a more or less 
mythical basis of family or tribal prestige which, 
however convenient it may have been, was wholly 
misleading and tended to exaggerate out of all rea- 
son the importance of a certain fractional part of 
the real pedigree. Some remote female ancestress 
gave name, and in many cases supplied almost the 
sole measure of value to great groups of cattle, to 
the exclusion of the immediate ancestors on both 
sides of the house. 

In so far as they use "family" nomenclature at 
all, Hereford breeders commonly group their breed- 
ing animals under heads that convey a definite 
meaning. They have their Wiltons, Anxieties, Grove 
3ds, Garfields, Beau Donalds, Perfection Fairfaxes, 
Disturbers, Eepeaters, etc., thus laying stress 
where it of right belongs, on the great producing 
bulls ; and as a rule they have followed a great bull 's 
blood only so far as it appeared to make good in his 
descendants. 

The record price for a Hereford bull has already 
been noted. The American top for a Shorthorn 
bull was higher— $17,900 for the 14th Duke of 
Thornedale — but in his case the bidding was influ- 



THE ''round-up" 1075 

Modern English Herefords. — It will bo noted that 
our detailed narration of the Herefordshire side of 
this story ended with the g-eneral suspension of im- 
portations about 1890. Writing as we are for Amer- 
ican readers and limited as we must be in the matter 
of space, it has been found quite impracticable to 
refer specially to what has been doing in more recent 
years in the old home of the breed. The truth is 
that our own breeders have felt for a long time 
past that they had actually passed their colleagues 
across the sea in the matter of the elevation of the 
Hereford standard of merit. 

And yet the old blood is still doing its wondrous 
work over there in the beautiful Severn vale. 
Handed down from father to son, as in the days 
of old, prized and preserved as the proudest pos- 
session a Herefordshire farmer can boast, undis- 
turbed by the ceaseless rise and fall of prices, un- 
moved by any extraneous influence whatsoever, the 
descendants of the Hereford fathers, staunch de- 
fenders of their heritage, are still producing cattle 
the equal of any that have hitherto been seen in 
their native pastures or in the great forum of the 
Royal showyard. This is clearly indicated by the 
illustrations of recent prize-winners reproduced 
in these pages. 

And in acknowledging our debt to these steadfast 
men of Hereford, notwithstanding the claim that 
we have evolved here a more uniform type of cat- 
tle, let us not be hasty in declaring our inde- 
pendence. Great as have been our results in the 



1076 



A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 



blending- and doubling of the Anxiety, Garfield and 
other bloods of the old importations, we do not 
have to go back far to meet the March 0ns in the 
hands of VanNatta, Funkhouser and their contem- 
poraries; and — lest we forget — Kirk Armour 
brought out from England in comparatively recent 




Photo by Sports and General Press Agency, London 
AVOXDALE, HIS MAJESTY THE KING'S ROYAL WINNER OF 1911. 

years the mother of Perfection Fairfax! So let 
us, while rejoicing in the marvelous character of 
our modern American-bred Hereford, not forget that 
the highest development in the future, as in the 
past, is most likely to attend a resort to the best 
material the entire breed affords, regardless of in- 
ternational boundaries or blue water. 
Complete liberty of selection, limited only by the 



THE ^'round-up'' 1077 

entire Hereford body, both at liome and abroad, 
is the surest way of retaining present excellence 
and insuring future progress. Proud as we may 
well be of what we have already accomplished, let 
us not wrap ourselves up in the mantle of infalli- 
bility or self-sufficiency but rather keep minds and 
hearts open for the reception of all that is of proved 
goodness wherever and whenever it may be found. 

Conclusion. — And so our story ends — leaving off, 
as it began, with a reference to the old home across 
the sea. It seems but yesterday that we wandered 
first among the green fields and apple blossoms of 
Hereford, but this attempt at following the for- 
tunes of the white-faced cattle has surely led us far 
and held us long. Our survey of their origin, devel- 
opment and wide distribution up to date, incom- 
plete and fragmentary as it is, must now be brought 
to a conclusion. Not even all the "high spots" 
have been touched. Much that should by right have 
found a place in a volume of this character remains 
untouched. There is therefore only this to be said: 

Nothing that any man has ever done to further 
the cause of the Hereford cattle, whether it be set 
forth in written page or not, can ever be really lost. 
The Hereford s of today are the sum total of all the 
effort that has been put upon them from the days 
of Ben Tomkins and his predecessors up to now. 
The mark of every owner, for good or for evil, is 
on the breed as it stands. Whether public acknowl- 
edgement be made or not, the impress of even the 
least of those who have assumed the responsibility 



1078 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 

of handling these good cattle has been left upon 
them. The Herefords of today are what they are 
by reason only of the skill, or lack of skill, of those 
who have received them as an inheritance from the 
generations gone before. And if we may judge of 
the work of American Hereford breeders as a whole 
by the type as it exists in our western states as we 
bring these notes to a conclusion, we may conscien- 
tiously enter up the verdict: ''Well done, good and 
faithful servants. ' ' 

The history of live stock husbandry affords no ac- 
count of stewardship more honestly, more faith- 
fully fulfilled. American breeders in particular, 
prone as they are to be influenced by the coming 
and going of remunerative prices, and not specially 
inclined to travel in the footsteps of their fathers 
in any calling, have certainly in this case kept the 
faith, conserving loyally the material handed down 
by those who have gone before. Mindful of the debt 
they owe both to the past and the future, they have 
not only upheld the highest standards of the olden 
days, but possibly have set the mark of finish, 
breed character, quality and prepotency at levels 
never heretofore attained. 

But, after all, the most appealing note developed 
by this narration is that which records the courage 
and the bravery of the Hereford wherever there has 
been peril to be faced on cattle ranges! 

Throughout all the world, wherever, in order to 
improve upon a native stock, there has been a for- 
lorn hope to be led — whether on the ice-bound banks 



THE * ROUND-UP 



1079 



of the Saskatchewan, in the desolation of dusty 
deserts, under equatorial suns, in Australian bush 
or upon African veld — there has the lion-hearted 
Hereford practically walked alone! 

Over-lord of the grazing world ! Pathfinder of the 
sands and snows ! Filler of f eedlots and generous 
provider of prime beef! From the grass-roots of 
the plains and prairies that have known the touch of 
thy hardy hoof more gold has sprung than lias ever 
yet been wrested from all the rocks and rivers of 
thy vast western kingdom ! 

THE END. 




■ " X* ,1 wnw^^" 



THE COMING OF THE CATTLE. 

[Publisher's Note. — rWhile the author of this volume was 
writing the concluding paragraphs of the chapter entitled "The 
Long Trail", he began, purely for his own mental diversion, a 
Hiawathan imitation having as its motive the dramatic phases 
of the expulsion and virtual extinction of the Indian tribes, the 
buffalo and the countless other "children" of the western wilder- 
ness that followed the general occupation of the ranges. The 
first crushing reverses suffered by the cattle, the lessons learned 
by the pioneer cattlemen through over-stocking and general lack 
of foresight, and above all the re-formation of their lines under 
the leadership of the hardy Hereford, supplied the material for 
Its elaboration. 

The real story is, of course, already concluded, and the author 
naturally feels that none but himself can have any special interest 
in "The Coming of the Cattle". The publishers do not assume 
to pass upon the presence or absence of literary merit in the 
composition. It was, as above indicated, not intended for publica- 
tion. They do believe nevertheless that as an unconventional 
portrayal of the Hereford's greatest achievement up to date, the 
adherents of the great grazing breed may possibly wish to possess 
the fanciful picture painted.] 

Ever as the evening shadows 

Deepen o'er the plains and prairies, 

Ever as the darliness gathers 

'Round tlie foot-hills and the mountains. 

In the fire-light there are phantoms, 

In the pine-trees mystic murmurs, 

Spirit voices calling ever 

From the land beyond the sun-set. 

There is moon-light on the mesa, 

Stars are shining o'er the sages, 

And the night-wind from the desert 

Bears upon its wings the wailing 

Of the red men in their lodges, 

Of the dwellers in the canons, 

Of the children of the vegas. 

Of the bison on the meadoM's, 

Of the grizzlies in the gulches, 

Of the wolves upon the barrens; 

And forever in the gloaming 

As the Great Bear watches o'er them 

Can be heard their plaintive story 

Of the peace upon the ranges, 

Of the fatness of the grazing, 

Of the plenty in the valleys. 

Of the shelter in the forest 

In the days before the coming 

Of the pale-face and the cattle. 

1080 



Countless moons had passed above them, 
Nature's creatures of the dry-lands, 
And their comrades of the high-lands. 
Generations came and vanished; 
Still there came naught to appal them. 

Feared they not the fangs of winter, 
Nor the flaming breath of summer. 
For the North-wind was their keeper 
And the South a loving mother; 
And the wandering breezes told not. 
And the rippling rivers sang not 
Of the evil days impending. 
But the thunder clouds were hanging 
Heavy o'er the hapless races. 
Moons of plenty shine not always. 
Bluest skies at last are blackened. 
Lightnings hover in the sunshine. 
Longest trails must have an ending. 
And there came the day of waking. 

Signs portentous in the heavens. 
Fires by night and clouds at noon-day, 




^^m^'- 



tw^ 




v^i^\a 



<'opyright Photo by Erwln E. Smith 

'Firt'S by iiiglit auj eluuds at noon-day." 



Told of trampling hosts advancing, 
From the distant Rio Grande. 

1081 



Hoofs were heard along the Brazos, 
Horns were tossing on the Pecos! 
From the far-off Southern pastures. 
From the waters of the Concho, 
From the grassy realms of Texas, 
Day by day in countless numbers 
Pressed the cattle to the conquest. 
Northward, Westward, ever Northward, 
Toward the sunny plains of Kansas, 
Toward the walls of Colorado. 

Night by night their bed-grounds found them 
Nearer still and always nearer 
To the nameless unknown perils 
Of the Northland they had entered 
On the trails that led not backward. 

Not the pangs of thirst nor hunger. 
Not the Northern storm-clouds' warning. 
Not the stampede in the darkness, , 
Not the seas of fire that threatened 
On the wind-swept blazing prairies 
Stayed them in their great migration 
As they journeyed ever onward 
Toward the sand hills of Nebraska, 
Toward the Bad Lands of Dakota, 
Northward, Westward, ever Northward. 

And the Chinook came to cheer them. 
Higher still and ever higher 
Newer pastures bloomed and beckoned. 
Where the Yellowstone was flowing. 
Where the wide Missouri wandered, 
Where Montana's peaks were gleaming. 
Where the Big Horn dreamed of battle. 
Where Wyoming's highest ranges 
Led up to the lofty passes. 
To the parting of the waters. 
Came the cow-men and their cattle. 
Came the bronco and the buster, 
Came the camp-fire and the cabin, 
Came the round-up and the branding. 

Where the silent snowy summits 
Guard the Colorado's sources, 
Where the darkly-frowning forests 
Hide the Rio Grande's fountains, 
Lo, the west wind came a-sighing, 

1083 




Copjriglit photo bv McClure 



'Came the cow-men and tbcir cattle. 




Copyright photo by Erwln E. Smith 
'Came the bronco autl the buster." 



Came a-telling of the coming 

Of the cattle to the empire 

That belonged to Montezuma 

In the days before the Spaniards. 

Told of hoof-prints of the Longhorn 

And of lowing herds a-basking 

In the sunshine everlasting. 

Where the antelope and bison 

And the cliff-men of the caiions 

Had for ages all unbroken 

Roamed and reared their happy children. 

Vainly had the dread Mojave, 
Vainly had the high Sierra 
Stayed the coming of the cattle 
On the trail of Coronado; 
For they failed not in their daring 
'Til beyond the burning desert 
Far beyond the jagged sky-line 
In a flowery land and fruitful 
Billows beating on the sand-dunes, 
Thundering on the rocky headlands. 
Marked the ending of the grazing. 

From their ancient haunts the hunted 
Creatures that the wild had nurtured, 
Driven from their lands and waters. 
Now in sullen stealth retreated 
To their secret rocks of refuge. 
Calling on their sleeping war-gods: 
Prayed that elemental furies 
Might be loosed upon the ranges. 

And the strangers all unconscious 
That the earth would soon be shaking 
With the anger of the heavens 
Went their way in peace and feared not. 

As the eagle from his eyrie 
Hurls himself upon his quarry, 
As the arrow from the cord flies. 
As the lion on his prey springs. 
As a wounded herd bull charging. 
So the wilderness revolted; 
So did Manitou awaken, 
Swift to punish and to chasten. 
1084 



Through the North-land Arctic demons 
Rode the frozen ice-bound ranges; 
Through the Southland fiery dragons 
Scourged the earth with blazing horrors. 
Then the drifting to the death-traps! 
Hopeless struggling of the helpless! 
Herds a-wreck from drouth and famine! 
Bleaching bones to tell the story! 



As the spear by shield is shattered, 
As the shore turns back the waters, 
As the rock resists the torrent. 
So the wild enforced her mandates. 
Claimed her tribute of the reckless. 
Taught the lesson of the ages. 
Nature brooks not mad defiance! 

But the earth renewed its fruitage. 
Sunbeams dancing on the ranges, 
Waters from the purple mountains. 
Soft airs from the Western ocean, 
Called the grasses from their slumbers, 
Clothed again the world with verdure. 
And again the herds were gathered. 
Not with folly in the councils. 
Not with blind chiefs in the saddles. 
Children scorched by fire have wisdom. 

On the trails that led not backward 
Once again the cattle entered; 
Once again the herds were scattered 
Far and wide across the pastures; 
At their head a pale-faced stranger 
Staunch of limb and lion-hearted. 
From beyond the deep sea waters. 
From the distant shores of England. 
His the heritage of ages 
From the hills of grim Glamorgan; 
His the power that was descended 
Through the Hereford generations, 
From the wearing of the burdens 
Of the yoke of heavy hauling. 
From a life of toil and travail 
In the service of his masters. 

Proud the bearing of this chieftain 
As he armed them for the battle; 
Wrapped them in red robes of courage. 
Bound them by the ties of kindred 

1085 



As of tribes by blood united; 
Filled them with his dauntless spirit. 
Taught them how to meet privations, 
Taught them how to face the northers, 
Winter's stress and summer's terrors; 




Copyright photo by Erwln E. Smith 
'At their head a pale-faced stranger." 




"Taught them how to face privations." 



Fought their fight through many perils, 
Led them bravely through all dangers. 
Grasped dominion of the ranges, 
Held them in secured possession, 
Brought the cattle to their kingdom. 
1086 



As the leaves fall in October, 

As the stream dies in the quicksands, 

As the snow melts in the sun rays. 

So the children of the open. 

Of the mountain, plain and valley. 




Copyright photo by Erwin E. 
"Fled before the conquering cattle." 



Fled before the rail and rifle, 
Fled before the conquering cattle. 
Farther still and ever farther 
To the bosom of the river 
That is bearing them forever 
Through the land of the Hereafter. 



b 



1087 



C 300 88 



























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HECKMAN 

BINDERY INC. 

# AUG 88 
N. MANCHESTER, 
INDIANA 46962 













